She Runs
by crayola music
Summary: She runs from hell and she runs from her past. Straight to La Push, she runs. Straight into his arms. When she realizes that happiness may kiss her soul once again, will the fear of losing it force her to run away? ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1: She Arrives

A/N:

Alright, I've kind of given this whole fan fiction thing a go before, but I've never actually tried with it…or did anything with the wolf pack. I figure it might be something fun to do, eh? Let me know what you think… Experiment: Take 2, lol.

~CRAYOLA 0-0

DISCLAIMER: ALL PUBLICLY RECOGNIZABLE MATERIAL (locations, characters, etc) DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ARE, HOWEVER, ALL MINE, AND I DON'T PLAN ON SHARING!

(lol)

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Chapter One

(3rd Person)

_Well_, Christine thought to herself, _here we go_. She sighed as the taxi driver pulled in front of the reservation and turned around with an apologetic smile.

"Us cabbies aren't really allowed in…" He trailed off and she nodded. This was good, she loved to walk, and it'd be a great chance to get out and get a quick look around at her new home. The downside? She had luggage to carry with her. She decided not to think about that at the moment, reached in her purse, and pulled out her little wallet.

"How much?" She muttered, her brain trying to decide whether or not she should tip him a ten or fifteen dollars.

"Listen, miss, I feel awfully bad about this…how about I charge ya half?" She looked up with raised eyebrows.

"That's too kind," she said, shaking her head. She knew all too well that every penny counted in a tight job like this. She knew cabbies around Forks and La Push couldn't possibly get much business in such small areas.

"At least let me take 25% off," he muttered and she could see he really wanted to help her out, so she nodded.

"Thanks," she said softly. Twenty dollar tip it is. She handed him the money, seventy bucks in total. She slipped out of the cab and unloaded her bags. With her cell phone in hand, she dialed her cousin's number and waited patiently while the phone rang…and rang…and rang. Finally, her dearest cousin answered.

"Christine?" She said breathlessly. The teenager couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Emily, if you know you have company coming, _why_ do you still insist on bagging him!" Christine scolded jokingly with an exasperated tone, she could almost _feel_ and _see_ Emily's bright blush.

"Shush, you. Are you near the rez yet?" Her voice was soft and dainty, nothing like Christine's blunt and often loud tones.

"Em, I'm standing in the middle of nowhere, sinking in this yucky mud, dirtying up my suitcases, and-"

"Sam is on his way," Emily giggled, interrupting her. Christine couldn't help but laugh. She missed Emily. Emily wasn't really her first cousin, it was more like her second cousin. Emily was Christine's mom's cousin and the two were really close until Christine's mom decided to move to Florida and off the rez. Seventeen years later, her legacy would haunt the poor natives and wreak havoc on any calmness she sensed. Christine giggled at her dramatic thoughts, she wouldn't actually _torment _anyone…perhaps. Within a couple of minutes, a glowing Sam emerged from the bushes, engulfing her in a huge bear hug. Sam was shirtless in low-riding cutoffs. His hug was sweaty and none too pleasant.

"Ugh!" Christine protested, pushing him away with a huge grin. She missed Sam, too. "Hey, I thought only chicks did the glow thing after orgasm?" Sam's eyes widened and he looked down at himself. Sure enough, when he raised his head, he was smiling lazily. "Oh, ugh, God! Just…grab my bags, let's go," she said disgustedly. It was one thing to joke, another to be confirmed. She sighed mentally, this was going to be one hell of a long summer. Sam managed to grab all four of Christine's very large and bulky suitcases and walk without falter. He led the way through the small community, pointing out houses every now and then.

"That," he said, indicating a quaint little shop with a nod of his head, "is Sue Clearwater's shop. You can get just about anything there…"

"Sue…Sue…it sounds familiar?" She questioned, trying hard to remember why the name rang bells.

"Come on, you remember Sue…she was like your second…third…fourth mom," Sam chuckled and Christine giggled loudly. When she lived on the rez as a kid, basically all of the women took it upon themselves to mother and baby her. The difference between Rez Moms and her real mom, though, was that her real mom was stricter than a nun and her Rez Moms were more like the laidback sister/friend moms the lucky teens got on TV. She trusted her Rez Moms with everything she had and held back on nothing…thus the crude humor. When Sam finally turned off the main road and up another slightly narrower dirt road, she recognized the path immediately. She looked at Sam with a quirked eyebrow and he rolled his eyes. "Go ahead," he said trying to sound annoyed, his small smile gave him away, though. Christine squealed and without another word, she sprinted down the dirt path for about two minutes before the little house came into view. The two story house was a pale yellow with a large, lush green lawn and backyard, a white picket fence, and cute little bunches of flowers in the windows. She felt her eyes well with tears of excitement as she unlocked the gate and darted through the lawn, up the wraparound porch's step, and knocked on the door hurriedly. The wooden door flung open and before she could speak, Christine found herself locked in yet another bear hug. This hug, however, was much more welcome. Emily was really short and really petite and Christine felt like a giant next to her. Though Christine was only around 5'3" or so and had a slim, athletic shape, Emily was pole skinny and stood at 4'11". But yet Emily's hug was fierce and tight as she crushed Christine to her. They'd missed each other unbelievably so. Emily planned on giving Christine the best summer of her life here in La Push and that was that. After a few moments of a tight embrace, Emily released her and looked beyond her, a smile playing at her lips. She was staring at Sam as he brought the bags through the yard effortlessly. He passed by and pecked the top of her head and went straight inside. It was an odd match, those two. While Emily wasn't even five feet tall, Sam Uley was 6'4". It was hilarious watching the awkward and yet graceful way they handled each other. Sam didn't go upstairs, instead, he went to the guest room connected to the living room. Emily and Christine went into the living room and immediately sat down together, prepared to talk for a good few hours.

"Are you tired? Jetlagged?" Emily asked, her brow furrowed. Though Emily had missed Christine- a girl she saw as her younger sister- something awful, she wouldn't keep her up while she was exhausted- they could catch up later or tomorrow, for that matter. Christine shook her head vehemently and hugged Emily quickly.

"Not nearly tired enough to pass up catching up!" She squealed, taking in Emily's appearance again. Emily was beautiful. She had dark, tanned skin and a graceful aura about her. Her naturally straight, silky, shiny black hair, flowed around her elbows and she shook it back to get it away from her arms. Emily was awfully skinny but she did have a nice bust and bum- she wasn't completely shapeless. Emily's green eyes were shining with happiness and excitement, the black ring around them only amplifying the twinkle set in them. Her thick, long, black eyelashes brushed her high cheekbones every time she blinked. Christine had always been slightly jealous of Emily's looks. She had it all. The heart-shaped face, the pouty red lips, the perfect hair…_everything_. But Emily wasn't one to brag about anything and she wasn't the most competitive so she didn't really seem to notice anything off.

"Tell me, how's your mom?" Emily asked, a smile gracing her face and bearing the perfect, shiny white teeth. The only imperfection Emily had were the three, long scars that traced the left side of her face and neck. It only worked to make Christine that much more jealous, as bad as that sounds. For someone to have a scarred up face that bad and yet be able to look like a model…it was incredible. Christine had never thought about it before, but she didn't know where those scars were from.

"She's…good." Christine hesitated, she didn't want Em to know about all of the fights she and her mom had been having. Christine didn't want Em to know that she wasn't sent here…she was kicked out. Her mom was too restricting, too overprotective. She loved her, of course, but her mother was too self-centered. Her mother believed that Christine would make every mistake she had made and, apparently, that was forbidden. An imaginary paradox for her mother to endure.

"That's good! Your dad?"

"He's good." She didn't tell him that her dad had left last year, didn't tell her that she'd wanted to go with him, didn't tell her that it broke her heart to not talk to him. She planned on calling her father every day she was in La Push.

"Yeah? Tell me, what's new? What have I missed…oh, gosh, we have so much to catch up on! It's been…what, seven years?" Emily groaned, pulling at her beautiful hair making Christine laugh. She leaned back on the couch and sighed, palming her face. Where to begin? Emily wasn't going to find out about anything that was forbidden knowledge. Why should she worry about things that Christine didn't even think about? Christine was going to let Emily continue to live happily in oblivion because if she knew that Christine's mother was single and Christine was homeless…well, it would be a problem. She would stress about it daily…hourly! Christine was the type who had enough life experience to know she needed to live in the moment- it was the best thing for her. So that's what she did. She'd worry about the housing situation when the summer was up and she had to "go back to Florida." In actuality, Christine would probably track her father down in New York and live with him there. So, instead of immense details, Emily got an overview and not even a dusting of the harder times Christine had experienced lately. After she was done talking, Christine felt the jetlag hit her…_hard_. She yawned as Emily sat bouncing in her seat.

"Any boys?" Emily asked with a slight girly giggle making Christine laugh out the huge amount of air she had sucked in.

"No," Christine scowled. "The last boyfriend I had…well, it was a bad relationship. We spent most of it doing things to spite and hurt the other," Christine didn't want to think about that. They'd taken turns cheating, taken turns leaving…she knew she was too young for that bad marriage crap, so she broke up with him and that was that. Three months later, she's in La Push.

"That's terrible," Emily whimpered and Sam was immediately at her side, holding her. Christine fought the urge to fake gag, instead she took the mature route to escape the awkward situation. She stood up, stretched, and yawned loudly.

"I'm gonna go take a nap, okay?" She mumbled sleepily, her eyes already trying to force themselves closed. Emily smiled and waved.

"Hey, there's gonna be a dinner tomorrow to welcome you home," she said, her eyes now gleaming with renewed excitement. Christine groaned, not liking that the attention would be on her for a whole evening. Emily's tinkling laugh filled the room and Sam's chuckle followed it. Christine smiled half-heartedly and headed to the guest room. It was a nice room. The walls were a soft, light blue, the bed sheets navy. There was a quilt made of neutral patches like tans and browns. The hard wood floor was cold against her bare feet as Christine made her way to the bed. She was exhausted and feeling guilty. She knew she could trust Emily with anything. She was just embarrassed and she didn't want Em to freak out like Christine knew she would. Christine also knew this plan would eventually end up backfiring on her, she just had to prepare herself and try not to say "when." Christine sunk onto the king size mattress with a loud groan and cuddled under the covers. She sighed happily and was knocked out before she had the chance to think about what she just did anymore.

When she woke up, it was dark. The room was basically pitch black, save for the moonlight shining through the window next to her bed. She groaned. If the moonlight was that bright, she couldn't imagine what the sunlight would be like in the morning. Lucky for her, it wasn't really ever sunny in La Push. Christine sat up and stretched, yawning. It took her a few minutes to think everything through. She wasn't going to talk about home with Em anymore in order to avoid any situations that call for lies. She hated to lie- period, never mind to her best friend/sister/cousin. Christine headed out of the room and looked around, it was dark all over the house. She decided a nice glass of icy water would be good. As she trekked to the kitchen, she hit her shin on a low coffee table and swore loudly as she hopped around, holding the injured leg up, before toppling over, hitting her head hard on the floor.

"Aw, _fuck_!" She hissed, getting up and rubbing the various sore spots on her body. She would love to meet someone clumsier than her, just for a day- she knew it would boost her confidence a ton. Right now, she needed that because she felt like a jackass. She got up and made her way to the kitchen slowly and cautiously, careful to avoid anymore accidents. As the icy water made its way down her throat, her eyes began to ache and beg for sleep again. She sighed, washed the cup, and made her way back into her new bedroom. Again, she was asleep within moments.

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A/N:

Okay, so, what'd you think? Was it terrible? Awful? Murder on your brain? Tell me, _please_! I'll never get better if you don't tell me what's wrong. Okay, I'm not really a plot person, but I have some ideas for where I want to take this story. I'm thinking of kind of switching up some of the imprinting rules- is that, like, untouchable? Should I completely drop that idea? It's not really much, just something that makes it a little bit better and happier, you know? Oh, right, also: this is definitely a M-fiction, I won't start it M and switch the rating. The language will turn vile, I'm sure of it, and I'm also pretty sure lemons may make their little guest appearances, but it's really early on and I don't think I have to worry about that for a good while. Anyways. Hit that button and REVIEW!

~CRAYOLA 0-0

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	2. Chapter 2: She Meets

DISCLAIMER: ALL PUBLICLY RECOGNIZABLE MATERIAL (locations, characters) DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ARE, HOWEVER, ALL MINE, AND I DON'T PLAN ON SHARING!

(lol)

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Chapter Two (Christine's POV)

Sleep is amazing. It's like the best thing in the world. It's the best cure for anything, at least it is for me, anyways. Stressful day? Take a nap! Boy troubles? Take a nap! Headache? Take a nap! See what I mean? It just works for it all. So…it's understandable that I'm just a cranky bitch when my sleep is interrupted for a dumb reason. Today, my sleep was interrupted for a dumb reason. After my late night glass of iciness, I was woken up at seven in the morning by loud thuds and shouts. At first, I panicked, forgetting where I was. Once I realized I was at Emily's house, I thought something was going on. When I didn't recognize the voices, I freaked out and thought we had intruders. I had grabbed a baseball bat that I found inside the closet the night previous and stalked to the bedroom door. As an athlete, I can say that I'm a pretty fast person and as a person who loves to work out and lift, I'm pretty strong, too. I wielded the bat nervously, twisting my wrist and cracking my neck as I creaked the door open to examine the scene before me. The early lights of dawn were streaking through the living room's windows and two grown, _huge_ men tumbled together arguing and grunting- neither face was familiar. This pissed me off. Who randomly breaks into houses to wrestle?

"GIVE ME THE POPTART!" The one on top roared, trying to grab the crumbling piece of breakfast. Just as his fingers went for the target, the man on the bottom demolished the little rectangle in one bite. Dude…! "WHAT THE FUCK!" The man on top yelled before his face took on a pout and he shoved the man underneath him before getting up. "You suck!" He said in a decided voice. I felt my mouth open and my eyebrows furrow. You're kidding, right? I opened the door even more as I examined the men from far away. Both were pretty damn tall, taller than Emily's Sam. I gulped. They were bulky with thick, knotted muscles and had this dark, copper color. They could have been related from neck down, but their faces were completely different. While the man who had been roaring on top had a boyish, cherubic face, the one who had demolished the pop tart with mad eating skills had a more of a harsh look around his own baby face. They both look pretty damn sexy. But enough of that.

"Hey!" I shouted in a loud voice, as I came out of the room, bat raised. The two men looked at each other with wide eyes and open mouths. I then realized I was in my sports bra and hot shorts, but fuck it. "Who are you!" I demanded, trying to sound threatening. The two started laughing hysterically.

"You're the little firecracker Emily warned us about, right? Christine?" The boyish one said. I didn't respond in any other way except to narrow my eyes. He smirked. "I'm Brady, that's Collin," he said with a nod of his head. I raised my eyebrows and stared at the crumby mess on the floor.

"May I ask why you're in here?" I said, my voice still in a demanding, not so friendly tone. Brady laughed a bit and put his hands up in surrender.

"Sam wanted us to watch the house, is all," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"They left me here with strange men who fight over pop tarts?" I muttered, turning back to go in my room. I grabbed my small bag of toiletries and brushed passed the men to get into the bathroom where I freshened up. When I was done, I came out, my mood still not improved. I was still scantily clad but at least my hair was brushed and swept up in a pony tail. "I'm going for a run. If Sam and Em come back before me…tell them," I said harshly. The two looked alarmed.

"No, no, you can't do that," the Collin boy said quickly, standing up off the couch to come and face me. I stood at the front door, hand on the doorknob. I ground my teeth together almost painfully.

"Why…_not_?" I demanded.

"Emily wanted to take you somewhere and…uhm…" Brady said, staring at the ceiling, clearly lying. I narrowed my eyes and turned without another word. I opened the door, headed down the drive and immediately regretted my attire. It was slightly drizzling and the air was crisp and tinged with a slight fog. I sighed and started my run at a sprint, not a jog. I'd sprint down to the very edge of the rez and jog back. Good plan. I headed down the road, barely processing much else except the steady rhythm of my breathing and heartbeat combined with the hard pounding of my feet on the dirt road. I heard some rustling in the bushes and a snort. This is where I am now, frozen in one spot, listening for any threatening sounds like a growl or something. The animal snorts again and my heartbeat speeds up as my breath hitches. Fuck. I decide to backtrack and sprint back to the house. I'm not sweaty but I can feel that I'm red. I jog up the steps and go inside. The two boys are watching TV. Brady looks back at me and raises his eyebrows.

"Back so soon?" He taunts, a small smile playing on his face. I roll my eyes.

"An animal scared me," I grumble as I gulp down some water from the fridge. I head into my room for a change of clothes so that I can shower. When I come back out of my room, the guys are whispering low, almost hissing at each other. I blink but decide to ignore it. They're none of my business and even if they were, I still wouldn't care. I hadn't actually gotten a tour of the house and I didn't know where the bathroom was. I huff, I _had_ to interrupt. I clear my throat and they silence themselves immediately. "Do you know where the bathroom is?" I ask them both, eyebrows raised. They were here before I woke up and are here now, I know _one_ of them had to piss in the meantime. Brady gets up and leads me towards the kitchen, to a small door off to the right.

"This is the half bath…or the guest bathroom." He takes me back towards my room to the small door I ignored right beside it. "This is the towel closet," I open it and grab a towel. He turns towards an average size door near the towel closet and points in. "This is a full bath, for the actual guests." He says.

"Actual guests?"

"Like, the ones that stay the night…'cause there's a shower and crap…yeah."

"Speaking of which, can you turn it on for me?" I ask hesitantly as I open the door and step in. I sigh in content, finally, my own bathroom! It's not huge or anything, but it's amazingly warm and welcoming…leave it to Em to make a bathroom look sleep-able. There isn't an actual tub, it's just a shower with a glass door that opens and closes with a pull, not a slide. It's modern but not overtly so. The cold, beige, ceramic tiles are mostly covered in brown, fluffy carpets. The widow by the sink area is shielded with a light blue and brown polka dotted curtain. Brady turns the water on and asks me to test it. Upon sticking my finger under the powerful jets, I yank it out squealing. "ARE YOU INSANE!" I screech loudly, to which he winces. "Dude, that's, like, boiling!"

"Oh," is all he says as the steam envelops us. He lowers the heat and asks me to test it again. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, okay, that's fine. Thanks," I mumble, taking off my pants as he leaves and closes the door. I get naked and hop into the shower. The only thing I don't like is that the shower is all regular glass, not the blurred kind. So anyone who accidentally walks in before the glass is steamed will get a view of a life time. I shower quickly, washing my hair and body. My hair is light brown and deeply waved and curled. It falls down to my elbows but I'll be cutting it soon. I hate having my hair so long in the summer, it only makes me sweat more. I unsuccessfully try to shut the water off using the unlabeled knobs and almost kill myself trying to jump out of the way of the icy water. I wrap the towel around me and yell for one of the guys to shut this piece of shit off. Brady comes back in, laughing, and shuts it off. I growl when he looks at me and he laughs louder.

"Relax, relax, I have a girl that I wanna spend the rest of my life with," he says getting all dreamy eyed. I can't help but laugh. A guy? Spending their life with one girl? A man, sure. But a guy? Not at this age, baby boo. I shoo him out so I can first towel dry my hair and then my body before putting my hair in a giant knot on the top of my head and pulling on a pair of grey sweats and a tank top over my matching bra and panties set. I huff as I collect my towel and workout/sleeping clothes and head back to my room. The guys are still watching TV, something I roll my eyes at. I head into my bedroom where I just completely undress and lather myself in lotion. I lay on my bed, basically naked, and let the cool air from the open window settle onto my skin. My phone says that it's about nine. Suddenly, a piercing howl sounds through the woods and I bolt upright. I whip my pants on as I hear the guys getting up quickly.

"Wait! What's happening!" I almost cry as their panicked faces start running out of the house. They disappear in the forest's edge and I sink onto the couch, completely beside myself in fear. Almost as soon as I sit, a woman comes in. She's young, beautiful, and really, _really_ tall. She looks to be about six feet tall, if not, than only and inch or two at most smaller than that. Her darkly tanned skin seems to glow and her wild black eyes take in the scene before her full, red lips turn into a sneer.

"They _would_," she says before coming over to me. Her black, straight hair is bobbed and layered to be choppy right above her shoulders. I'm in awe of her beauty. I thought I had an athletic shape, but apparently I'm just skinny. This chick is a _beast_. Her biceps are well developed, rivaling many men and putting tons of teen boys to shame; her bare stomach is heaving, seemingly rubbing her six pack in my face. I squint. Is she actually a _female_?

"Uhm…can I help you?" I say hesitantly. If this chick wanted to, she could easily destroy me. I'm not one to back out of fights, but I know when I can and can't start one.

"Oh, right, I'm Leah. Leah Clearwater," she says with mock happiness, making me laugh. She has a nice voice and I can definitely see her being some kind of closet singer or something...you know, if she didn't look like a fucking body builder.

"Uhm. Christine…. Can I ask-"

"Sam sent me to replace the boys, chill your beans. Emily…" a shudder runs through her, making me narrow my eyes, I've never met anyone who didn't like Em, "…she should be here in a second." Leah finishes hurriedly. Hm.

"Sam is sending an awful lot of people to this house," I mumble and she laughs.

"Well you're gonna meet an awful lot more tonight, anyways." I raise my eyebrow and her voice turns cold. "All except for my brother will be here," she says begrudgingly. I purse my lips and fight the urge to tell her to shut up. I don't think that would end nicely.

"Your brother?" I prompt nicely, like I actually give a shit, and she turns to face me.

"Yeah. My brother. Seth. Like, he has to stay out tonight doing…security…patrols…while everyone else gets to come in and check to see if…you're cool," she pauses a lot, seemingly thinking her words through thoroughly. I remember something about Sam being head of a huge, important security group here in La Push.

"OH! He works for Sam, right?"

"Yeah," she says with no sign of enthusiasm as she turns back to face the TV.

"So, then…do you, Collin, and Brady all work for Sam, too?"

"Yup. I'm the only girl in the pa-…patrol squad, though. All of the other females you meet today will be the guys' imp…ortant others."

"Significant others, you mean?" I giggle and she smirks.

"Yeah, those. The guys are pretty cool, though," she says with a shrug.

"Right. How many of you guys work on the squad?"

"Uhm…about twelve."

"That's it?"

"But we work in shifts, so, only three of us a night. It works though because that means we only have to work every fourth night."

"How can the people of La Push rely on teams of three for protection?" I ask doubfully. Leah smirks.

"Believe me, Christine, we are _very_ thorough, no need to worry your pretty little head over it. Speaking of your head…" She quirks her face to the door, "you _may_ want to go put a shirt over it before Emily thinks you're a lesbian or something."

"Are you a lesbian?" Leah laughs loudly, hurting my ears.

"Farthest thing from it!" She squeals as I get up and rush to my room. When I come back out, dressed in dark denim jeans and a white tube top with white flip flops, Emily is in the kitchen, unpacking groceries, worry lines etched across her face. Leah is completely tensed up on the couch, shaking slightly. I decide to go to Emily first, see if I can sneak any answers out.

"Hey, Em," I say slowly, putting away the milk and orange juice.

"Hey, sweetie," she says distractedly. I bite my lip. Should I just blurt it out?

"What time are we expecting people?" I ask carefully, deciding to dance around the subject. "I mean…do I look alright in this?" The tube top was one of those that stretch across the breast area and flow out around the torso. This particular one had flowers in the design and at each flower tip was a bird-shaped hole, letting my tummy peak through. She smiles softly, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"You look fine, Christine, don't worry about it…no one will judge you and everyone will love you right away…they should be here around four."

"Four? Isn't that a bit early…for dinner, I mean?" Emily just shrugs.

"Yeah, probably, but the guys love to eat...so, early isn't really a problem…"

"Oh," I say as I put away the fruits and veggies before turning to her, tossing an orange back and forth between my hands. "Hey, Em, did you hear that wicked howl?" She visibly tenses up and I can't help but quirk my eyebrow at her.

"Y…yes, I-I did…why?" She looks nervous as she looks around the kitchen, searching for an out.

"What animal do you think that was?" It was obviously a wolf. As if the sound had struck my heart and soul, I knew with all of my very being that that animal was a wolf. A very, _very_ powerful wolf.

"Well, I think it was a, uh, wolf…" She's breathless, Emily gets like that when she's dancing around subjects or lying or trying to avoid something.

"Oh…? I didn't know they had wolves here…" I say, turning around and placing the orange in the fruit bowl before I grab the potato chips and bread to put them in the pantry.

"Well, they're out protectors, dear, no need to fear them," she says, her voice suddenly confident. I don't let my body give away my shock. Protectors? Like…the patrol squad? Hm. They work with wolves? Well, no wonder they don't need more than three a night. Leah comes into the kitchen then.

"Hey, Emily, got anything to drink?" She says. Emily nods, looking worried again. I bite my lip as I watch them interact. They don't like each other…or, well, Leah doesn't like Emily. At all. Emily hands Leah a water bottle to which she sneers. "I meant like…vodka or something," she says. Emily narrows her eyes.

"No drinks before dinner in this house, Leah Clearwater. You know that." Leah rolls her eyes.

"Right, right, I forgot…we're actually supposed to _adhere_ to that." I giggle at the exchange and then leave the kitchen and head to my room to grab my cell.

"Hey, Leah?" I call. She comes over to my room and stands in the doorway with her eyebrows raised. "I think we're gonna end up friends regardless, so let's just hang out now. Show me the good stuff in town?" I ask, I really want to get out. Leah smirks.

"Can do, kid." We head out of the back of the house. It's only when we're down the drive and hear the rustling of bushes does Leah stop. "Sam wouldn't let her stay with only me, now would he," she mumbles, kicking a rock into the bush and resuming our trek. "There isn't much to do," Leah says with a shrug as we get on the main dirt road. I bite my lip.

"Any bars that don't take ID?"

"None of them take ID between here and Forks," Leah quips with a roll of her eyes.

"Beaches?" I question. "Arcades? Mall? Movies? Anything slightly fucking entertaining!" She laughs.

"Well, I mean, there's always you," she says with a shrug and I narrow my eyes. "Yeah, you're so right, we really are gonna end up being friends…there's a beach a little ways down the road…"

"Well, come on-"

"Nope. Can't do it."

"Why not?"

"Heh," she chuckles, "another story for another day. Perhaps when we're slamming drunk…well, we can do it tomorrow...maybe?"

"Sounds amazing," I gasp as my chest flutters and the urge to turn around strikes me. Leah growls and the feeling goes away. I furrow my brow but I don't say anything. "So…anywhere to shop?"

"Unless you mean for groceries…no."

"But Sam said that Sue…hey, your Sue's daughter, aren't you?" Leah smiles.

"Yeah, my mom is the best," she says with pride and I nod because I really don't have anything to add or dispute.

"He said she sells just about everything." Leah rolls her eyes.

"That's because Sam is a…man, he thinks _food_ is everything. My mom's shop is a grocery store…I mean, it's really equipped with just about everything food-related, but nothing other than that…"

"Sam," I growl and Leah laughs.

"So where do we shop?" I ask, disturbed, and she shrugs.

"In Port Angeles…but in case you didn't notice my freakish height, it's kind of really hard for me to find clothes." I glance down at her attire and smirk. She's in jean shorts the manage to somehow cover her ass and a tank top that shows a great amount of her toned stomach. I gasp when I notice she's barefoot. She rolls her eyes. "When you're a native, you get used to it," she laughs and I giggle, too.

"So, nothing fun to do, huh?" I sigh. We've been walking around pointlessly. She laughs.

"I mean, there's a few guys…but none of them are any good. I mean, they all want a serious relationship and won't even date. Like, seriously?" I roll my eyes.

"No guys. No places of interest, other than bars and those are kind of night time things…"

"Only one bar, sweetie."

"What? No clubs? No-"

"No. One sports bar/grill thing. That's it." I gulp. How am I going to survive here?

"Oh, relax. We can get blasted at any time. My brother has the best connections ever. Most sisters are weary about their little brothers getting their hands on alcohol…but once you meet Seth…well, you'll see why I don't really care and why I don't really have to…" She says and I smile.

"Chill out, I don't judge…and if he can get alcohol for us, then the more the merrier," I say with a shrug. She laughs and slings her arm around my shoulders. "But seriously, what is there to do around here?" Another howl rips through the air and I jump, shuddering. Leah tenses and starts shaking like crazy.

"Well, for starters," she grits out, her eyes closed as she calms her shaking and I gulp. "We can go back to Emily's."

* * *

I smirk at myself in the mirror. My hair had dried nicely and I have to say that I don't look too bad. I mean, I'm not the prettiest girl in the world, especially next to Emily and Leah, but I'm not ugly, either. I've always thought of myself as plain, not gorgeous or anything. But, regardless, I feel good. My skin isn't like Emily's or Leah's or Sam's or Collin's or Brady's. My skin is pale. I have ghostly pale skin but I tan fairly easily. Give me about two weeks and I should be bronze. My complexion is perfectly clear, absolutely nothing on my face but two dimples- one in my right cheek, the other on my left cheekbone- when I smile brilliantly. My cheekbones are high. My eyes are golden and wide, framed with thick, long, black eyelashes that brush my eyebrows. I have a small nose and full, naturally pink lips. My body is pretty curvy. Even though I'm pretty fit, I have deep curves. A full bum and rounded hips, thin waist, and a nice, medium-sized chest. But my clothes play it all down to look like an average body shape for tonight. I sigh. If there were any guys that would around here, I could easily surprise them with what's underneath. But, according to Leah, there aren't any morally challenged idiots here. Most girls would be glad, but I'm not looking for a relationship...I just want a little summer fun. I check my phone. It reads 5:37. I look out the window, the sun is setting. Coming out of my room and sitting at the dining room table, I listen to Emily sing to herself. I have a text from Kyle, my ex. I debate on whether I should read it or not. He was dumb. The relationship was dumb. Why waste time on it now? My thoughts and Emily's singing are suddenly interrupted by the door swinging open. Sam comes in, jogging to the kitchen and the sounds of making out are loud. I feel my face scrunch up and I try to hold back my gag. Sam comes into the dining room and kisses my forehead, making me cringe. Ew, ew, ew. He laughs.

"What'd you do today?"

"Well, I woke up…met two random ass guys…left…came back…met a random ass chick…chilled with your wife…yeah." I say staring at him accusingly. He sighs.

"Sorry. You were asleep so I didn't wanna wake you up and explain that my friends were gonna hang out with you." I raise my eyebrows before nodding. "Did you like Collin, Brady, and Leah?" I nod.

"I didn't know there were wolves-" I'm interrupted by a loud groan from the doorway. A tall man, though he's shorter than Sam, is yawning loudly. By his side, a woman stands. His skin is really dark and his head is shaved bald. He's ridiculously built, more muscular than all of the guys I've seen in La Push so far, I mean, this dude is bordering body builder status, here. The woman is a bit more delicate. She looks to be my height though she's quite thin. Her hair dances above her bum, it's straight and black. Her skin is a soft brown, her eyes are looking up at the man, and lips are smiling only for him. Well, then, hello to you, too.

"Paul! Rachel!" Emily squeals, hugging them both. I bite my lip. Looks like the first round of introductions is about to begin. I stand up and walk with Sam towards the couple that are obviously in love. I shake the man's hand.

"Hi, I'm Christine," I say, smiling softly and trying to come across as friendly. I turn to the girl and say smile warmly, she flashess her perfect teeth at me.

"I'm Rachel Black, this is Paul Uley," she says, looking back up to him, "my fiancé," she sighs. I fight the laughter bubbling in my chest. Oh, God, they're one of _those _couples. I'll think about the whole last-name sharing with Sam later.

"Congrats," I say with a broad smile to let out some of my humor. She beams and thanks me, taking my hand and leading me to the living room. Oh, well, uhm, okay?

"Yes, yes, the wedding will be next month. Will you still be here?"

"Uhm, if those two don't get sick of me before then, yeah," I say, a smile in my voice. Emily hugs me from behind and sits down beside me.

"Of course we won't be sick of you! Silly," Emily giggles and I roll my eyes. Rachel squeals.

"Great! I would love for you to come! I have invitations, just…hold on…one…moment- ah! Okay," she pulls out a white card from her bag. Seriously? She carries the spares in her purse? Oh, God. They really _are _one of _those_ couples. She hands it to me glowing and I smile brightly.

"Aw, thanks so much, that's really kind of you." She shushes me.

"I just like to show off my baby," she says, her eyes finding Paul's from across the room. Ah, yeah, that's a bit creepy.

"Well, let me go put this in my bedroom-" I'm interrupted once again as yet another couple enters. This man is about Paul's height and, though he's obviously muscled, he's much leaner. The girl at his side is looking around the room and when she sees me, my eyes widen with her devilish smile. She marches over and shoves her hand out at me.

"I'm Kim," she declares. I bite my tongue and take her hand, standing up.

"Christine," I nod. She smiles.

"You drink," she states and my eyes widen, though my smile stays in place and my hand continues shaking hers.

"Well, I-"

"You bet she does!" Leah sings from the doorway, coming in. I sigh in relief, a familiar face other than the ones I now live with. I groan but am relieved again when Emily giggles. Okay, we're good.

"Well, that's a good thing. Me and Leah here needed a new drinking partner now that's Rach is trying to get knocked up!" I giggle and nod. "That's my husband, by the way," she says smiling over her shoulder at the man she came with. Husband! She looks like she's barely twenty! "Jared," she sighs out his name and I bite my tongue. Am I going to be surrounded by those couples that are up each other's ass 24/7? I sigh and excuse myself so I can put the wedding invitation in my bedroom. When I go back to the living room, Collin and Brady are there with their girlfriends curled into their sides. Oh, God, I sure will be surrounded. They wave at me and I smile back. I head over to them and they introduce their girls.

"Shinaia," Brady says to the pale girl with wild red hair, "this is Christine." The girl smiles and nods. Rude.

"Yeah, Daisy, this is Christine," Collin says to his own girl. Collin's girl has olive skin with long curly black hair and hazel eyes. She's gorgeous.

"Hi!" She says with a soft smile. I smirk.

"Hey."

"How long have you lived here?" Her Spanish accent is thick.

"I just came yesterday," I say with a shrug.

"And you plan to stay for…how long?"

"Oh, uhm," I clear my throat, "just the summer." Sam and Emily think I've moved in permanently. I hope they don't hear us talking. Daisy nods and goes back to cuddling into Collin and talking to Shinaia. Uhm, okay. I look around at the packed living room. The door opens again and this time a guy around Jared and Paul's height but with a slight build, right in between Jared and Paul's physiques, walks in with a little girl. She looks to be around ten, twelve the most. He smiles and waves at everyone. The little girls spots me and walks over to me, dragging the boy with her.

"Hi!" She says loudly and I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Hi," I say, smirking.

"I'm Claire," she declares loudly, "and this is my Quil." I giggle. "My" Quil. How adorable is that?

"Hi, Claire, I'm Christine." I look up at the tall dude. "Quil, was it?" He nods. "Sup?"

"Nothing," he shrugs. I nod awkwardly.

"Right, well, I'm gonna go-"

"Hey, do you like to go to the beach?" Claire asks suddenly and I smile brightly. I love little kids, they always save awkward moments like these. I bend down so I can be eye-level with her.

"Yes! I lived in Florida before I came here!"

"Did you go to Disney World?" She asks excitedly. I bite my lip and raise my eyebrows as I think about my mom and her laughing at me when I asked her if we could go when I was Claire's age. Ah, the times of twelve year old me...

"No," I mumble and clear my throat. "Is the beach here nice?"

"Probably not as good as the beach in Florida…but I love it," she says simply. I nod.

"I'll see if I can check it out and I'll let you know exactly that," I say and she laughs. I get up and head over to the kitchen to see Sam and Emily making out. "Oh, GOD! Am I gonna have to be the parent of this house, or _what_!" They laugh and blush but do not apologize, giving me my answer without any words. Oh, damn it. I hear the door open again and a few stomping and laughing. Two large boys come into the kitchen. They both easily clear 6'5" and stare down at me. I don't look up at them. Eep, they're so tall! They're skin is flawless and darkly tanned, what I saw of their appearance is that it's basically the same. They're about the same height and hefty build, it would be _quite_ an interesting fight. I guess here in La Push, they make them tall, built, and sexy. Damn. The two continue staring down at me until Sam clears his throat.

"Jake, Embry, you're making her uncomfortable." He mumbles and they both sigh.

"Hey, I'm Jake," a deep, sexy voice says. Eep, I have to go. I have to go, _now_. I swallow loudly.

"Christine," I squeak.

"And I'm Embry," the other says in a softer but no less sexy voice. Oh, God. I _really_ have to go now. I look up and meet their intense gazes. They seem disappointed for a second and I laugh.

"You sounded more excited than you look," I say and they laugh, too.

"We just wanted…to see something." I raise my eyebrows though I'm uninterested.

"Right, well, I'm hungry, so…" I turn to Emily and she rolls her eyes.

"Give me twenty minutes." I groan and head back to the now-full living room. Leah calls me and the two guys I just met over. They follow me and I can feel their eyes on me as I sway a little bit more than usual for their benefit.

"Embry, go get Seth," she demands. He tenses up beside me.

"No, why," he hisses.

"Embry. Go. Get. Seth. He can take a break and then go back to patrolling. He's gonna be doing it all night, what will one minute do?"

"Leah…" Jake starts but she growls.

"Come on, I just want them to meet," she hisses. "Don't make me do it by myself." They both sigh.

"Alright. Embry, go get Seth," Jake sighs, "come back and get me and Christine-"

"And Leah," Leah butts in. Jake rolls his eyes.

"And Leah when you're ready." Embry sighs but heads out the front door anyway.

"Can I ask why it's so important for me to meet Seth?" I hiss at Leah and she smiles.

"Well, I can't tell you until you've met him," she says. A soft fluttering in my chest makes its presence known. I breath in and out, trying to make it go away but I give up after a few tries because I'm going to chalk it up to nerves. The fluttering expands and soon my whole body is swimming with nerves. Embry walks into the house and nods. Both Jake and Leah start walking towards the door at the same time. I follow, skipping a bit to stay with them. When we get outside, I realize it's actually dark. I whimper as my nerves sit on end with anticipation and the fluttering troubles my breathing. I see a shirtless man up ahead with his back to us and I gulp. Oh…my…God. Oh…GOD. His skin is a soft tan, not dark like Leah's. His back is so muscled, I wonder if it would feel soft and yielding under my touch. His skin is golden and so invinting. I gulp and try to push the hormones out of my head. He's wearing low-riding grey basketball shorts and I have to gulp again. Fuck.

"Seth?" Leah calls. He turns around and my eyes drop to his torso. An unbelieving need to go to him and hug him and have him hold me seems to take over. I breathe deeply and fight to keep my feet firmly planted in the spot that I'm in. His torso is cut into deep, hard abs and pectorals. An eight pack. The dude has an _eight_ pack. Oh, God. I don't care _what_ Leah says, I'm so totally going to _bag_ her brother! My eyes trace their way over his built form and his shuddering arms to his rounded shoulders. I gulp and close my eyes before allowing them to take in the sight of his face. I _slowly_ make a trail up to his angular jaw, pouty lips, cute little nose, and then…his…_oh_. I gasp and the fluttering seems to explode inside of me, my stomach seems to heave with excitement and my eyes go wide as I stare into his beautiful hazel orbs. His black hair is cropped short and I'm happy because I might have marched right up to him to pull it back from his face if it tampered with my view.

"Oh…_SHIT_," Jake hisses beside me but it sounds so far away. I feel my body leaning forward and Seth…_Seth_…makes his way over to me. Leah giggles and pats her brother's shoulder once he's in reach…I almost _growl_ at the girl because that shoulder should be _mine_ for touching and _mine_ alone. He smiles down at me and I realize how much he resembles an angel.

"H-hi," his deep voice mumbles and my heart starts to stutter and beat rapidly. Fuck. I gasp as his lips move. I decide to try to play it smoothe.

"So…y-you're Seth?" I ask. Oh, yeah, _real _smoothe. He smiles broadly as I say his name and I gasp again. Oh, God, I'm a piece of crap in his presence. His lips pull apart to reveal perfect white teeth that I'd love to feel against my tongue. Oh. Well, then, that's a first. I've never wanted to lick anyone's teeth before…

"Yeah…" He's breathless and I can't help but be proud.

"I'm Christine," I say with a smile of my own. He raises his eyebrows.

"Sam…wait…you're…oh," he looks at Leah. "Dude…think it through." And with that, he leaves, jogging back to the forest. I shudder before my legs turn to absolute useless rubber. I expect to fall but burning hands catch me and prevent that from taking place. I grunt as I'm set upright.

"Oh, _shit_," Leah gasps, "is that even, like, _possible_?"

"What?" Jake asks from really close. Oh, he must have been the one to catch me. Why is he so hot?

"Emily is her cousin," is all Leah says. Jake grunts and Embry starts laughing.

"Is it even possible," Embry gets through laughs, "to imprint on family?"

* * *

A/N:

No, this is _NOT_ the added imprint thingy. It's just a small twist/complication that I will clear up soon…. I might have it twisted, but I have it so that the imprint pull is felt stronger when the wolf is in human form, so. Yeah. How do you think I explained the imprint? Good enough? Well. Let me know!

~CRAYOLA 0-0


	3. Chapter 3: She Sees

A/N:

Hey, everyone! I think I'm going to do each update in three sections. So, like, instead of getting one chapter per update, you get three. The bad side I guess is that the updates might end up being a bit further apart. I'm not sure if I want to set a for sure update rate just yet, but let me know when you'd like them. I'm pretty sure Sunday is going to be the day I update, period. If I decide to do three chapters per update, I'll probably do it every other Sunday. Let me know… Oh, and I've also decided to keep it to Christine's POV for the most part and switch it to whoever's when necessary. Yeah, I think that's it.

~CRAYOLA 0-0

DISCLAIMER: ALL PUBLICLY RECOGNIZABLE MATERIAL (locations, characters) DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ARE, HOWEVER, ALL MINE, AND I DON'T PLAN ON SHARING!

(lol)

* * *

Chapter Three

(CPOV)

I didn't ask questions or even speak but the questions were burning holes through my brain. Who was that man? What was imprinting and why did it ring faint bells in my thick and foggy skull? Why did I feel sicker and more hurt with each step I took away from where he once stood? I gasped as we entered the house and kind of went numb. I'm not sure what happened after that because I spaced out, finishing the night and dinner on autopilot. Now, I am in my bed, staring up at the full moon, wondering why I felt like this. Why did I have this ache in my chest? In my stomach? I feel as if every fiber in my being is being pulled outside and it hurt, oh, it hurt. It's like my whole life needs to be moved to the outdoors. I hold my breath and let it out with a grunt as I press closer to the wall, trying to ease the ache. It hurts so bad, my insides feel empty, I feel empty. The sadness and despair from separation of an unknown substance is mind-boggling. After another moment of grunting against the wall, my mind is made up. I sleep in my underwear and that might be weird if I had guardians up at all hours, but no one is awake. The house is silent. And no one is watching the house in the woods…the pull is intensified as I back away from my room and leave out the back door. My blankets in hand, I lay one on the ground and plop onto it. I'm on my back in a black bra and boyshorts set. The cold settles comfortably on my skin and the pull seems lessened but is still very much present. It's like I have a rope around me yanking me towards the woods. I groan and toss my other blanket over my body. I stare up at the night sky and listen to the sounds of the land, smiling in the rhythmic beat of crickets, owls, crickets, owls…shuffling in bush…I sit up quickly, drawing the blanket tighter around me and the rope seems to get tighter around my torso, as well. I hide the squeak of surprise when Seth steps out of the bushes but I can't muffle the sigh of relief. I don't know the kid but my connection to him is undeniable. The pull is lessened, immediately lifted as he throws himself on the blanket next to me. Mm, I can feel the heat radiating off of his skin and smile to myself, slightly alarmed.

"Should I be alarmed?" I whisper into the night, scared that if I spoke too loudly, the moment would be ruined and one of us would realize that this is not normal, get up, and leave. Well, I wasn't worried so much about myself. Having felt the strong pull, I wouldn't be leaving him anytime soon. I wasn't so sure about Seth, though. He sighs and brings his hands up to his face, rubbing. He turns on his side and I blush, remembering that I'm almost naked beneath the sheets. I wonder if he knows that.

"I don't know…" He whispers, his eyes taking my face in before they widen, "…are you wearing anything?" I feel my blush deepen and huff.

"Nothing that would make a difference," I mumble. He groans and turns back onto his back.

"I thought being close to you would ease the pain and the guilty feelings," he whispers, "turns out the proximity soothes, but doesn't take it all away…" he groans again, "can I please hold your hand?" No sooner does he finish his sentence than my hand flings into his. I sigh, completely ecstatic that my tiny hand is clasped in his large, rough, hot hand. I gasp.

"Why is your hand so hot?" I sit up and the blanket pulls down a bit. I don't care, though, I'm too fascinated with his temperature. "Is your whole body…?" I use my free hand, my left hand, to trail up his left arm, the one holding my right hand. Over his shoulders, down his chest, and across his abs my fingers go. He growls a bit and I gasp again, my hand darts to his face and I caress his cheek. His whole body is burning up. "You have a fever," I declare in a shaky voice. He smirks, his eyes closed and he grips my hand tighter. I sigh, he's just beautiful.

"I don't have a fever…" he says, not opening his eyes. I scrunch my face, ready to argue.

"Dude, you definitely do, I mean…I felt-"

"No, it isn't a fever," he says, using his free hand's fingers to shield his covered eyes. There is no other light on him other than the moon's and I know that I will never look at a full moon the same way again. In my cousin's backyard with this perfect man bathed in the moon's eerie light…it's just amazing to me. "I don't know if I should tell you yet…" He groans.

"Tell me what?"

"Mm, it hurts," he groans and panic sets off within me. I have to help him, I have to keep him safe, make him happy. I close my eyes against the sensation and hold that gasp in at the power of it. I throw myself onto him and hug him close. His whole body is a fire to mine and I can't help but snuggle into it as it blocks out the cold of the night. He sighs happily and his free hand massages my scalp. Yeah, this is really weird.

"You can tell me…tell me anything…" He winces beneath me and I sigh, kissing the hot skin of his chest.

"You know…I don't know anything about you," he says quietly. "Your name is Christine. You're Emily's cousin…"

"I'm Emily's cousin's daughter…"

"And you're from Florida."

"I didn't tell you that…"

"Quil…Quil did," he says quickly and I nod against his skin, letting him talk. "Oh, and you drink…please don't get shit-faced tomorrow with Leah. It's dangerous." And I wouldn't deny him.

"Why?" But I would question him. He sighs.

"She could hurt you with her words...her secrets...her past," is all he says and I nod.

"What if you drank with us? Would you hurt me?" I whisper and he laughs.

"I would never…_ever_ hurt you," I smile and kiss his chest again. I believe him with all of my heart, whether I should or shouldn't, I still do.

"So…drink with us!"

"How old are you?" I sigh.

"If the bars don't take ID, why should you?" He laughs loudly.

"I'm not saying…no, I know you would drink regardless…I'm just wondering how old you are." I snicker. He's right. I could get drunk anywhere…except tomorrow, he asked me not to do it tomorrow.

"Guess," I say as he pulls his hand away from mine in order to wrap both of his arms around me in a hot embrace. I'm kind of sweaty, but I don't mind it.

"I would say…fifteen." He sighs, unhappily and I laugh.

"NO!"

"Sixteen?"

"Do I look that young? Fifteen? Really? No, not sixteen, either."

"Seventeen at most." I snort.

"I'm gonna be eighteen in a couple of weeks," I shrug. He sighs. "Hey, how old are you?" I ask and he seems to deflate beneath me.

"It's really complicated…"

"Why is it complicated?"

"Just…can I tell you at a different time?"

"Sure," I say wearily, moving to get off of him. He doesn't look any older than...maybe twenty-two, at most, but still….

"Stay," he says quickly, tightening his grip a bit, "_please_," he begs and I wince, immediately settling directly on top of him. "Tell me…what's your favorite color?"

"Purple and green," I say immediately. "I could guess yours," I say confidently. He chuckles beneath me and I sit up, making him cut that short. I'm straddling him, and the blanket is completely off of me now. He gulps loudly, looking up at me and I like the position. Staring down at him, I'm suddenly reminded of the wolf and that makes me laugh loudly. Seth is like a vulnerable little wolf beneath me, at my mercy. "Right now?" I ask, trailing a finger from his lips, down his chin, over his neck, down his whole torso, only stopping at the place where my bottom cuts off his skin. "I would say…your favorite color is…" I lean down, pressing close to him, my mouth right beside his ear. My lips graze his golden skin as I say the single word and he audibly growls. "Black," I whisper slowly before kissing his earlobe. When I lean back up, he's concentrating really hard on something, his eyes are shut tight, and his mouth is in a fine line. "Am I right?" I giggle and he nods quickly, making me laugh loudly. "Have you lived in La Push all your life?" I ask, getting serious again. I honestly just wanted to test him, see how hard it would be to seduce him. Apparently, I could have him tonight if I wanted. He opens his eyes and smiles broadly.

"So, you think you can be a sexy vixen one minute, switch the topic, and make me go back to normal?" His voice is low and gravelly, it sends a jolt of electricity through my system and his own eyes widen. He swallows a few times. "Yeah," his voice is a whisper, "I've lived in La Push since birth," he nods. "Did you ever live here? Before now, I mean?"

"Yup. I was a baby, though, so this is all new to me…"

"Did you ever…uh…learn our culture? Our legends?" Well, of course! I knew about the wolves and all that jazz, but they were just legends. I mean…why did they matter?

"Yeah…" I say slowly, nuzzling back into his chest. He sits up and looks into my eyes. I blush, my hair must be a mess.

"Do you believe in any of them?"

"No," I giggle. He sighs and shakes his head.

"They're true," he whispers. Imprinting flashes through my mind and I suddenly remember what it is. I laugh.

"You're crazy!"

"No…_no_, I'm not. Please, I would never lie to you, understand that…" I bite my lip. Oh, God…he was serious.

"Y-you're…you're a wolf?" I squeak out and he nods slowly, his eyes not leaving mine.

"And Sam…and Jared…Quil, Collin, Brady, Paul, Jake, Embry…"

"Leah!" I gasp. "You guys…you patrol…for vampires?" I gasp and he nods slowly. I breathe slowly, trying to take it all in. "Show me," I breathe and his eyes widen.

"No, I can't…"

"Why not? You said you wouldn't hurt me…and…I wanna see…"

"It involves me being naked," he explains and I smirk.

"Is that supposed to make me _not_ want to see?" He sighs and takes my hand, pulling me up. Although most of me believes his every word, a small part of me denies it all. His height makes me gasp again and he laughs.

"I make you gasp a lot, huh?" I think about what Leah said…and imprinting…

"Did you...imprint...on me?" He bites his lip, his smile fading.

"You know about that?"

"It would explain how I feel…"

"Maybe I should explain how _I_ feel?

"Maybe you should," I nod. He sighs, sitting us back down, but pulling me into his lap.

"Imprinting…it…I don't know. Okay, you know about all of the legends? The wolves? The cold ones? Everything, right?" I nod. "Okay…imprinting. Okay. When a wolf meets…his perfect match, his mate in every way, the one who will make his world whole…it…ugh, it's so hard to put into words. It's like nothing in their life matters anymore, they would do anything for that person. Everything means nothing, the only thing that matters is their imprint. It's like gravity is no longer what holds them to this Earth...their imprint is the one doing it all. They don't see anyone else, just her. I could never hurt you, never leave you. That's why it hurts so much to be apart," he whispers and I gulp. That's some serious shit. "I should probably go into more detail, but how about we save that for later?" I nod. This is a lot to take in. He stands us up again and leads me a little into the forest. He pulls down his shorts and I make the mistake of looking down. What the- oh my gosh! Are…oh…are we supposed to _fit_ together! The thing is MASSIVE! That's not…that's not even possible and no way is it going anywhere near my pinhole! I look back up and he rolls his eyes.

"You're the one who looked," he shrugs and I narrow my eyes.

"Arrogant ass, just turn into a wolf so you can get back over here and keep me warm!" I growl, stamping my feet. He smirks.

"Stay there." He back up a few feet, shivers, trembles, vibrates…and then BOOM! A sandy, humongous wolf is there. I gasp and step back before rushing forward.

"I thought you said you turned into a wolf not a fucking horse!" I laugh, stroking his thick, soft fur. "You're beautiful," I sigh, kissing his neck and he whines.

"Okay, go change back, I'm cold," I shiver. I step back to where I was originally. If I were to blink, I would have missed the change back. He's already pulling his shorts on…regrettably. He jogs over and hugs me tightly.

"Scared?" He whispers into my ear making me laugh.

"No, cold…and tired. Come sleep in my room," I mumble sleepily into his chest. He smiles into my hair and kisses my forehead.

"Okay."

* * *

A/N:

I don't really know a lot about the whole legend thing, so let's just say she already knows everything. Next chapter: Seth breaks my twist on imprinting to her. =P.


	4. Chapter 4: She Swims

A/N:

Sorry. I know I'm way late and all but here it is! Seth is gonna break it to her. Remember this is _my_ twist, so it might be a little weird and awkward…. Tell me if I should just delete this chapter, lol.

Disclaimer: You know it's not mine. Props to S. M. and thanks along with it, I'm having lots of fun giving Seth some love, ;).

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Chapter Four (CPOV)

I'm sure waking up to a man your third day in your new home should be a strange occurrence, but it just felt a little weird but mostly right, lifting up the sweaty side of my face and seeing him still snoring. My whole torso is on top of his, my arms up and against his biceps while his forearms rest on my lower back. My hips are on an angle, my left leg wrapped over his left leg, my right leg on the outside of his left leg. I rest my chin on his chest and watch him sleep. God, I'm such a stalker. But, no, no, no, _he_ slept in _my_ bed last night. He looks so peaceful, like an angelic little boy. I smile softly at his pouty lips. He's just too cute. I bite my lip and slide out of his arms quickly. I glance at my phone and gasp. It's only seven in the morning. No one is up. I run out of my room, still in just my underwear. No one is in the living room. I brush my teeth and wash my face, run a comb through my hair, and straighten up my overall appearance. Okay.

When I go back to the room, my bed is empty. I frown but not too much, I feel his presence. I turn around and see him standing in the doorway, also freshly freshened up. He smiles brightly at me.

"Feel weird?" He asks, eyeing me and I giggle, blushing.

"Nah, I have a feeling it won't be the last time you see me in something akin to this," I smirk, turning around to my dresser to get some fresh underwear. "I'm gonna hop in the shower…will Sam be mad…?"

"Nah," Seth says as if it's the craziest thing in the world. "He's Em's imprint and he knows that it's physically impossible for me to do anything to you that you wouldn't want or that wasn't in your best interest…he's not worried at all about my…hurting you, or anything." I smile.

"Good," I walk over to him and hug him, "because that makes two of us."

"Well, I'm not worried about it, either." I laugh.

"Okay, three. When I come out, I'll make you breakfast," I suggest and his eyes go wide.

"Oh, God, you cook!"

"Yeah…"

"I think sex might not be so necessary, after all."

"Who said you were getting any sex?"

"Ouch," he says, playfully rubbing his chest. I giggle and dash past him, into the shower. I wash up quickly and within twenty minutes, I'm wrapped in a towel, my hair is in a knot. I quickly dress in my underclothes and lotion up in here rather than the bedroom. Once I'm done, I head back into the bedroom and put on the sweats and tank I had on after yesterday's shower. I go back into the living room and see Seth watching TV. I hop into his lap, straddling him.

"You know…" I trail off in his ear in what I hope to be a sultry voice. He shudders beneath me, so I'm guessing it is. "I haven't kissed you yet…" He freezes beneath me, making me smirk. He must be preparing himself. I lean away from him and smile at him. He reaches up and lets my damp hair fall around me in a dark question. His eyes widen in awe.

"Are you gonna?"

"Am I gonna what?"

"Are you gonna kiss me?"

"Oh, right," I say unenthusiastically, making him pout. "Hm, maybe later…I'm hungry." His brow furrows but he sighs and lets it go. When I kiss Seth, it will be a surprise and it will be something he won't forget anytime soon. Taking his hand and flipping my hair over my shoulders, I lead him into the kitchen and onto a barstool at the island in the middle of the kitchen. He sits there happily, content with just watching me move around. "Okay…" I say slowly. "I haven't really gotten the feel of the kitchen, so give me a second…" I locate the pan, the spatula, and get out the eggs and other ingredients I'll be needing. "Over medium?" I ask, holding up the eggs. I glance back to see him smiling broadly.

"You know me too well," I fight the urge to say I don't know him at all because I know it would only hurt us both _and_ ruin the moment, two things that I really rather wouldn't do.

"How many?"

"Six." He says simply, reading a magazine that was on the island. I almost drop the carton.

"Six!"

"Yeah, like…half a dozen…?"

"That's…that's…_a LOT_ of eggs, Seth."

"Well, I mean, yeah. Do you have any idea how much energy I need? I'm a wolf, here. I'm hungry 24/7. I'll probably burn the entire meal off in, like, ten minutes by just breathing and having this high temperature and metabolism," he shrugs. I can feel my eyes widen in jealousy. The lucky sonuvabitch could eat whatever the hell he wanted without worrying about getting fat. He laughs and motions for me to continue.

"That's still a lot," I mumble, breaking eight eggs in two different pans. Two eggs was stretching it for me. It strikes me that I should make breakfast for Sam and Emily. I add another eight eggs in two more pans and stare at the full stove. Wow. I don't think I'll ever get used to cooking on this level.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I ask, turning around while the eggs cook. He smiles lazily, staring into my eyes and making my heart stutter. The butterflies explode in my stomach and before I can process the movements, I'm propelling myself forward and into his arms. I should probably kiss him, it'd be sweet, romantic…and satisfying…no, probably not. I have a feeling that once I taste his full, tempting lips, I'll be insatiable. I stare up at him smiling, debating on my next move. He sighs, licks his lips, and pecks my forehead.

"How about the beach?"

"The beach?" I ask, my eyes widening. I am in love with the beach. Water, calming and rhythmic, tossing you and beating you to a bloody, nauseous pulp with its violent, uncontrollable waves…it doesn't get much better than that! I hug him tighter, nestling my head into his bare chest. Mmmm.

"Yeah, you know…big water…lots of sand…"

"I know what a beach is, Seth, I just-"

"Say my name," he says suddenly. I bite my lip, hearing the slight change in his tone. It's just a bit deeper and a tad on the husky side. Hm. Let's play.

"What?"

"Say. My. Name." He growls and I giggle as Destiny's Child's song flies into my head.

"And what would that be again?"

"You just said it," he groans and I kiss his chest, rubbing my kiss in swiftly with my palm before going to the stove and move the eggs around so that they don't burn.

"Why?"

"Please just say it," he whines and I cave.

"Mmmm, you're so lucky I love your name, Seth. Yeah. Seth, Seth, Seth." He laughs and pulls me back into him.

"I love when you say my name," he whispers, his eyes closed, his lips smiling, "it sounds beautiful when it falls from those lips," when he opens his eyes, they're lazy and a bit darker. I smirk, knowing who has the power here.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful man," I muse, kissing his nose. Being with him is so easy, free, and open…it's so _right_. I know that, essentially, that's the whole purpose of imprinting, but it's crazy for me to feel this way after having just met him yesterday and just moving in the day before. I feel like I've known him all my life, like I want to know him for the rest of my life. No, I don't want to just _know_ him for the rest of my life, I want to _love _him for the rest of my life. I pull away from him as these scary thoughts begin to settle in the pit of my stomach.

"You're gonna make me burn the eggs," I mutter, turning back to the food. The feelings and thoughts I have for Seth are unwarranted and unwanted. I just got out of one hell of a nasty relationship and I'm not trying to hop into one. Imprinting be damned.

"I'll eat them regardless, I'm freaking _hungry_!" I giggle as I serve him up some eggs. I scoop a bit onto my own plate and pop some toast in the toaster before heading towards the living room and pausing.

"I wanna get Emily and Sam but I don't know where their room is…"

"Yeah," Seth snorts, "no one does."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, our alpha, he doesn't let anyone upstairs. He hasn't given out a specific order for us to obey or anything, but we get the point- he doesn't want us up there." I giggle.

"They probably have a sex room or some freaky shit up there," I can't help the snorts of laughter pouring from my mouth and Seth laughs with me, loud and booming. I shrug and decide that if they're hungry, they'll wander down. Grabbing my plate, I take a seat across from Seth. "So," I start, I hate awkward silence, "have you ever had a girlfriend?" He blushes and nods. "Oh, you have, have you? Well, how did _that _go?" I might sound bitter, but none of the six boyfriends I've had in my life were anything more than pond scum. He laughs a bit then scratches the back of his neck.

"Ah, not so well. She cheated on me…for several months," his blush deepens. I bite my lip to hold in my nasty comments. He was smart to not include a name. I would have had her ass pounded in no time for hurting my Seth. Uhm. Whoa. _My_ Seth? Since when did I stake a claim here? _Since he imprinted on you, ass_. A nasty voice says in the back of my mind. I ignore it and go back to Seth.

"Oh," is all I say.

"If she didn't regret it when she got caught, she regretted it when Leah beat the shit out of her," he snickers.

"Ouch," I wince. Leah is _not_ the girly, dainty type. "I've been cheated on before, too." I decide to throw out there, just so he doesn't feel embarrassed. Seth's features darken and his arms shake a bit. "Whoa, are you okay?" I ask, instantly at his side, touching his shaking arms. He shakes his head, takes a few deep breaths through his nose, and finally chills out. He smiles at me sheepishly and I furrow my eyebrows together. That was _not_ normal.

"Sorry," he says abashedly, "when we wolves get too…emotional…like, upset or angry…we phase."

"Oh, gosh."

"Yeah…how did…are you okay?" He asks and I nod.

"It wasn't a healthy relationship," I shrug nonchalantly, not mentioning that no relationship I've ever been in was healthy, waiting for the pang that normally strikes my heart and wondering what happened to it when it doesn't hit. Usually, thinking and talking about Kyle doesn't end so well for me, emotionally, that is. I sit back down and start eating my eggs. "I mean, if cheating was the only thing that occurred, it would have been easy. But, of course, cheating _wasn't_ the only thing involved," I sigh, still kind of depressed over it. Kyle was dumb. Sure I had loved him, or thought I did anyway, and sure I had spent a long time with him…but it was just a terrible relationship. We'd both laid hands on each other in violence and we'd both spit words out that should never be uttered to another human on this earth in the ways that we said them. It was just a terrible relationship. My phone starts ringing from my bedroom and I ignore it. I'm talking to Seth and nothing is more important than him at this very moment.

"What else did he do to you?" Seth grinds out between his clenched jaw making me sigh. I take his hand from across the table and look into his eyes pleadingly.

"Please calm down. There's nothing for you to do, the past is in the past, let it be. I'm okay with what happened, I wasn't then, but I am now. It…it's been three months since I got out of that relationship, and even though that's not a long time…I've moved on," sure it was only in the past few minutes that I realized this, but I've moved on nonetheless. He sighs and nods.

"So you won't tell me?" I grunt and finish my breakfast, washing the plate out before taking Seth's empty one.

"Want more?" I ask, trying to divert the conversation. He huffs and shakes his head. I shrug and wash his plate out. I finish the last of my orange juice and then walk to my bedroom, Seth on my heels. He says nothing as he sits on my bed and I dig through all of my suitcases, looking for my bathing suits. When I find them, I grab my pink, white, and black plaid bikini and look up at him. He's studying me, his eyes narrowed, brow furrowed, lips pursed. I sigh and swallow, standing up and sitting down beside him, our knees touching. "Seth, it isn't something you would want to hear…"

"I wanna know everything about you," he interrupts, cupping my face in his hands and staring deeply into my eyes. I get lost in his hazel irises and sigh, drowning in their depth. I close my eyes and pray that he'll understand.

"I've done so much wrong in my life," I whisper, not opening my eyes because I don't want to see his reaction. His thumbs brush my cheekbones and his warm breath washes over my face. I swallow and try to bid the tears back to the recesses of my eyes. Please, not now.

"And you could do a lot more…but it would never change how I feel about you right now…" I sniffle and feel a couple of tears leak from beneath my closed eyelids. I open my eyes and see him staring at me with an expression I cannot decipher as he wipes away my tears with his large thumbs. "Christine…I cannot even begin to describe what I feel for you…I know you'd run like hell if I did," he chuckles without humor. This, this right here, it feels an awful lot like love. As weird as that is, with someone I've just met, I feel more love than I have ever felt in my entire life. I can feel it radiate all around me, caress every part of me, bind me to him forever. I nod my head.

"You don't have to, I already know," I whisper, smiling softly. "If I tell you my story with Kyle…you promise to never tell another?"

"When I'm in wolf form," he starts randomly and I crinkle my forehead, confused, "we share each other's thoughts," he finishes and my face straightens in realization. Ah, he's telling me he _can't_ promise. "But I _do_ promise to try to keep it as far away from my thoughts as possible. I will try to guard you words with everything in me," he swears vehemently. I nod.

"And then we can go to the beach, right?" He chuckles.

"We can go now, you don't have to tell me anything…" But I want to. He wants to know everything about me as I do him, and I want him to know it all.

"I met Kyle when I was sixteen," I say, breaking away from his hold and leaning my back against the wall. He stares at me, eyes focused on mine. "We were friends for a couple of months before we found each other at a party, drunk. Sexual tension builds up over time, you know, so…we fooled around, whatever. When we were sober, neither of us regretted it, we both knew each other, we liked each other, we decided to just make it official," I bite my lip. "It was all good. Things only turned fucked up after a couple months of nice, calm dating. It was like the calm before a storm, you know? Well, I caught him flirting with my friends, and me, being the ever smart and mature person I am, I reacted by doing the same with his friends. I guess he turned it into a game and soon we were cheating on each other like crazy. When I finally confronted him, he got upset, and words were shared. I punched him in the face and Kyle, being the fucking wrestler that he is, slammed me onto the floor and we outright fought. After that it was horrible. But by the time the fights had started, I was already in…well, I thought I was in love. I was so enthralled by it and it was a distraction from my-" I paused, tripping over my little overview. I don't think Kyle's drug dealing or being a gang member really matters. I don't tell Seth about my mom and that I relished in my relationship with Kyle because it proved the best distraction from her. I don't tell him that I picked fights just to get my mind off of a statement my mother made. I don't tell Seth that I took my anger out on Kyle mercilessly and provoked him constantly. I once went to his house, beat the shit out of him, and left. I don't tell Seth any of this. Instead, I shrug. "He was just a replacement. Drama in exchange for drama. I couldn't deal with other shit, so I took his instead." Seth is shaking again, lying flat on my bed, eyes closed.

"You know," he starts slowly, "it is _incredibly_ hard to not find this sonuvabitch and end his fucking life." Seth's soft voice turned lethal sends chills down my spine and I say nothing. I crawl on top of him and sniffle the last of my tears away.

"Can we go now?" I squeak, and he sighs before getting up. He nods.

"Just change and we can head out." I hope my story with Kyle…the little bit he knows…doesn't push him away or break the imprint or anything. I strip down naked and get into my skimpy bikini. Even I have to admit that I look pretty good. I let my hair down and let it dance around my torso. Man, I really do have to get this mane of mine trimmed. I slide on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top before putting on my sandals. I grab a towel and wrap it around my shoulders and head out of my room. Seth is in a pair of black swimming trunks and is wearing a white wife beater. His feet are bare and I don't question him. His eyes are closed and he's sitting on the couch. I clear my throat and he stands up, taking my hand. "I have something to tell you," he says slowly and I nod up at him.

"Go ahead."

"No, I have to tell you at the beach," he says quickly.

"Why can't you tell me here?" I ask, confused. If he can tell me there he can tell me anywhere.

"Well…I mean, it's tradition for the pack to tell their imprints on the beach…it's supposed to calm them…let's just go, I'm a rambling idiot," he says, blushing again, and I giggle.

"You're so cute when you're nervous, come on," I squeal, excited to get to the beach. I pull him to the door and off of the property. "Alright, here's where my leadership ends. I don't know where the hell the beach is so…lead the way, Captain." I giggle while he snorts and pulls me in the direction Leah's eyes had flicked when we were talking about the beach. After about ten minutes of walking, my feet are achy from the rocks poking through my sandals. A piece of sharp rock pierces my sole and I swear loudly, stumbling and then bumping into Seth.

"Aw, FUCK! OUCH! SHIT!" I yell, hopping around like an idiot. Seth sucks air through his teeth when he sees the small cut on my foot.

"Come on my back, I'll carry you the rest of the way." I laugh.

"I'm like 130, dude, you wouldn't be able to carry me if your life depended- EEP!" I squeal when he tosses me onto his shoulder like a firefighter. I smack his ass and he smacks mine in return.

"Hey, now, don't get rowdy." I giggle and let him carry me like this the rest of the way.

"Hey, Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"You have a really nice ass." I giggle the words out and he just laughs.

"So do you," he says after a minute and I feel his grip tighten on my thighs. I grunt.

"The blood is going to my head," I moan before suddenly being flipped to lay in his arms bridal style. I gasp. "Shit, you're throwing me around like I weigh nothing."

"I can't hardly feel your weight," he shrugs, making a face. "You need to put some on."

"Excuse you," I snort, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You're really light, is all," he says dismally. Well I guess it's better than being called fat. I don't respond to him and take in the scenery around me.

"So you know the area well, I take it?" I ask, nodding towards the woods around us. It strikes me that I should have probably put up a fight when a man I met yesterday decided to pick me up and carry me into dense forestry. Then again…I should have also put up a fight when said man made his way to my bed last night. Well, it's not like we did anything. All he did was ease the intense ache surrounding my heart by holding me while I slept. That's nothing bad. The trees begin to thin out.

"Yeah. We do patrols nightly and you have to run the perimeter of La Push for hours on end, basically learning the lay of the land like it's your fucking hand or something…" He sighs, "but I can't really complain. I think I would still run it, part of the pack or not."

"Why?"

"Partly," he says as he ducks out of the way of a low branch, "because I take pride in protecting those I love and those around me…then partly because it is so…_relieving_ to feel free and like nothing is holding me back…to feel indestructible, running at two hundred miles per hour at night…then partly because this place is just beautiful."

"I'll say," I agree, staring up at the woven leaves of the tall trees.

"It's even better for me, though."

"And why is that?"

"I have my ultra-mega-super-fantastically enhanced senses. I can hear from a mile away if I wanted to, I can see like a hawk, smell like a dog…the natural beauty of this place is just intensified by my supernatural senses," he says with a shrug. I giggle at first but then realize that he can smell _everything_.

"So, if I'm on my period-"

"Yes, I would know."

"That is _royally_ disgusting," I grunt, ready to puke. He laughs.

"Well don't worry, I can block out most things, I won't be sniffing the air for your bloody vagina scents," I laugh loudly, thrusting forward and swatting at his chest.

"I wear lots of powder, lotion, and perfume during that time of month, so let your sensitive, little nose beware," I say wisely to which he just chuckles. I look around and realize that I can see the dirt turning into sand. "I take it we're almost there, then?"

"Yeah, right through…here," he says, putting me down on the beach. I gasp when I turn around, staring out into the soft grey mass of water. I look up at the sky and down at my attire.

"Is it too cold to swim?"

"Maybe for you…"

"Ass. I wanna go in!" I whine and he just rolls his eyes.

"So get naked and let's go," he jokes, stripping his tank top off. I giggle and undress, putting my towel down first, then my clothes of top of it. Of course I don't get naked, but seeing his body once more definitely has me thinking it over.

"Hey, did you have anything you wanted to say?" I ask breathlessly. His eyes are taking me in slowly. It isn't your average, everyday teenage lust stare. No. It's more than that. It's an animalistic, possessive lusty stare. When I blink and open my eyes, he's gone. "Seth?" I call wearily before spotting him in the water. What the fuck- oh, the speed! I dart across the sand and into the water, feeling the waves begin to hold me back. I push forward until I'm standing in front of him. "Why'd you take off?"

"Had to cool down," he says through his teeth, closing his eyes, and turning his face to the sky. "Listen…about what I have to tell you…"

"Yeah?" I bite my lip, his tone is making me nervous. He sighs then suddenly dunks his whole body under water. I look around me for any sign of the massive body the water is hiding, but the liquid is near black. Hm, it looked so nice and light from the beach. I don't think about what else the water could be hiding. Watching _River Monsters_ was definitely not the best idea I've ever had in my life. "Seth?" I croak out and scream when his head pops out of the water with a gasp.

"Sorry, sorry. Look…this is really hard to explain…uhm…how do I- babe…what do you think about immortality?" Babe? I've never liked being called that but when it falls from his lips it's just so perfect, so natural, I want him to say it again.

"What?"

"Immortality."

"What about it?" I'm completely lost here, buddy, help me out.

"What do you think about it?" I sigh and lay back, floating on the dark surface.

"I think…" I listen to my heartbeat from underwater and notice how thunderous it sounds to my own ears. I sigh again. "I think it would be great…I mean, there's so much I want to do in life, you know? But then again, watching everyone that I love and care for die around me…it wouldn't be so great…" My eyes are closed and I don't expect the warm hands that pull me to a hard, muscled body. He holds me to him and sighs his own sigh.

"As wolves…we…we don't age."

"You don't age? So…you're like…frozen in time?"

"Immortal."

"And I'm not." I state it. I know I'm not. I was never the type of teen to think I was invincible and having an immortal boyfriend wouldn't change that for me-

"Well…so long as I keep phasing…you are." Oh, okay then, nevermind...

"What?" My eyes are open now and I'm staring into his eyes, completely thrown off guard and alarmed.

"You're immortal," he says slowly, leaning away a bit. I purse my lips and close my eyes again.

"Explain."

"You see…the Great Spirit…when He gave us this curse…this gift, however you see it…of changing into wolves to protect our people, He wanted to reward us. He not only made finding our soul mate and lover easy with imprinting but also allowed us to have them and the happiness forever."

"But…what…I…but…am I, like, frozen? I can't die? What happens if _you_ die?"

"The only thing that can kill me is a brother in my pack or my imprint. That's it. And if I do die, you resume aging."

"What about…my heartbeat? My blood…I…I'm still human, right? I mean…I don't…understand…" It's hitting me hard, this whole immortal thing. I mean, just a second ago I was never invincible and never would be…damn.

"Babe, you're still human, just not aging." And he knows exactly what to say. There goes that "babe" thing again. I sigh and then take a few deep, deep breaths. Whoo. I can do this. Don't scare him, don't scare him.

"Immortal…like…vampires?" I whisper. He nods. According to the legends, the Cold Ones cannot bear children. Kids were always something I'd seen myself with, no matter what. But this might be an obstacle.

"Yeah…"

"What about kids? What if I wanted a family?" My voice is low, so low I can only barely hear it. He doesn't respond and when I open my eyes, I see him smiling. "What?" I frown and he chuckles.

"This might be complicated, but here it is. If I'm alive and phasing, we are both frozen. If in the case that you don't want to be immortal or you want kids, I just stop phasing for two years, we resume aging at the normal pace, picking right back up where we left off, and we can have kids."

"So, after two years of not phasing, we can have kids? What happens when I'm pregnant? Can you phase then?" I know I'm speaking as if we're married already here and it's only actually been two days and I'm not even his girlfriend, but still.

"Nope. If you want to have a baby, I can't phase for two years and nine months. As soon as the baby is out, I can phase."

"But then we'll be younger than our own kids…"

"No…see, if a child is born to a man who has phased before, he has a good chance of phasing himself around the age I did, give or take a year, and that means he'd be forever that age...if he wanted."

"So our kid would be our age?"

"Hm, a bit younger, we would have two years on him…" I roll my eyes. Yes, because that's a lot of time right there.

"Wow," I breathe, thinking it all through.

"Imprinting is mainly about making us happy but also about mating and protection. It is to ensure that there will always be wolves here to protect the tribe and multiply so there are many. And I can always retire if you want to grow old together or something." I roll my eyes. No, thanks. I swallow a few times, turn on my back, and dive into the water. It's still cold but I can take it. I swim for a bit and finally make my way to shore, Seth trailing lazily behind me. We trek to the towels and just lay out, silently. "Any thoughts?" He asks after a while. I sigh.

"What can kill me?" I ask as I get up and trace a huge heart in the sand beside our towels. When I sit back down, he's smiling at me and I just shrug. I was bored and trying to find something to distract me while I waited for an answer.

"Me or another member of the pack."

"But you said imprinting would never allow you to hurt me-"

"No, not like that! I mean…if I were to be killed, then you would resume aging. Otherwise just another pack member."

"Would they?"

"No! Not unless you'd gone psychotic and started killing people," he chuckles, trying to lighten the mood, but I don't laugh. My eyes are closed and I'm frowning. How could this be?

"If you stop phasing, the next day, can I get killed?"

"Nope. Aging resumes two years after the last phase."

"Then I can get killed?"

"Yes," he sighs.

"Wow…" I'm finally quiet for a few minutes. He takes my hand and another question comes to mind.

"Last night, when we first saw each other…I remember…someone said something about imprinting on family and I was just-"

"My mom is Emily's aunt."

"So…we…we're…third cousins?"

"From what I know…" He sighs. I swallow.

"I don't think so," I say finally, officially ending the topic. I look over to him and smile at his perplexed expression. "Hey, you wanna go home? I have sand where sand…just should not be." He laughs and nods. As we stand up and dress, I notice that clouds are starting to devour the sky. "Oh, no!" I whine, like a five year old.

"What?"

"Seth!" I whine, "It's gonna rain!"

"Not for me it won't," he says. I grunt.

"And why is that?"

"Don't you know, Christine? I've got sunshine on a cloudy day…and when it's cold outside, whew, do you know what I got?" I giggle.

"One could only imagine, but I bet you're gonna say it anyway."

"Damn straight! I've got the month of MAY, baby girl!" We both laugh all the way back to Emily and Sam's house. When we get inside, I tense up. Emily and Sam are sitting on the couch. No light, no TV. Nothing. Just them, staring at the wall, listening to the now-pouring rain. Emily gets up and turns to us, sighing, her hands clasped in front of her waist.

"Seth…Christine…there's…well, I think…there's something you should know. It…well, it's important."

"What about?" I ask nervously in a really shaky voice. Oh, God, if they found something out, if they make me leave for it…oh, I'll be broken. I'll be ruined. I'll be done.

"Christine," Emily's face is all stressed and worried, definitely not a good sign, "it's about your mom." And that's when the brick hit the bottom of my stomach.

A/N:

Alright, there it is. Let me know! Yeah, so far there's been no response at all. I have a lot of hits but no reviews so I still don't know what to expect here. Oh, and if you haven't already, check out the blog I set up for all of my fan fiction stuff. It's all explained over there so I won't bother explaining on here. If you're having a hard time picturing Christine or my versions of these characters, I have models up that best represent my visions for these characters on the blog under a page titled CHARACTERS. Anyways. Here's the little link thing:

http:/crayolamusic(dot)blogspot(dot)com/ Where it says (dot) put a dot...just saying...

Don't forget to review!

(Please, =].)

~CRAYOLA 0-0

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	5. Chapter 5: She Learns

A/N:

Okay. So. I've missed the update date several times and I'm sorry. If you want my lame ass excuse, I don't have one other than laziness mixed with work. Then again, I'm not sure anyone noticed because I still haven't gotten a single review…is anybody even reading this thing? Ah…

Now then, on with it, yeah?

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Chapter 5 [finally]

(3rd POV)

Christine stared at Emily blankly, her eyes wide and her jaw slackened. She looked absolutely dumb…either that or out of this world and high. Either way, Emily took a deep breath, glanced at Sam, and then beckoned Seth and Christine over to the couch. Christine, however, didn't move. She couldn't. She was glued to the spot with fear and anxiety. Seth slowly pulled her out of her trance and to the comfortable butt cushions as she continued to stare dumbly at the beautiful, scarred woman before her. Seth was just as anxious as Christine to hear what Emily had to say. He could see the dread on Sam's face and the nervousness on Em's and wondered what the issue could be. He wasn't sure what Christine could see, but wasn't quite positive that her current state was healthy. He inhaled slowly and wrapped his finger's around Christine's more firmly, trying to give her strength that she would desperately need. She sat there and waited anxiously. Emily stared at her clasped hands in her lap; her turquoise, satin dress had thick tank top straps and a low boat neck. The dress fell loosely, not touching her body, to her mid-thigh. Emily, the fashionista that she was, simply took a beige belt strung with itty bitty seashells and tied it around her waist to give the boxy dress some shape and cuteness. Now it looked stunning on her dark skin. Her feet were bare and crossed tightly. Sam was in black basketball shorts and in no shirt or shoes as he sat beside his woman, staring at her with a type of adoration only an imprinted wolf could fathom. Both Seth and Christine couldn't help but feel like intruders watching the two. But they had no choice. What would they say? What was wrong? What would happen? What _had_ happened?

"Christine?" Emily's usually strong yet sweet and gentle voice was shaky and small as it crawled out of her full lips. Emily didn't know how she was going to do it. She had a long tale to tell and it wasn't even entirely hers _to _tell. She swallowed and tried to regain composure, taking in Sam's heat beside her and drawing her strength from that. She couldn't look up just yet, so she studied her thin fingers for a moment. Christine's throat immediately dried up and she had to swallow a few times before responding.

"Yeah?" Despite her efforts, her voice was shaky and raspy. Seth's grip on her hand tightened and he brought the back of it to his lips for an encouraging, light kiss. Christine didn't acknowledge the sweet gesture but it had brought her some comfort.

"What did your mother…what did she tell you about her childhood?" Emily asked, her voice becoming stronger and stronger with each word. Christine swallowed once more. What _did_ her mom tell her about her childhood? All she remember really was that she screamed at Christine all the time because Christine had it better than she ever did. Christine remembered that she told her Emily was there for her in ways she could never explain and she never tried to explain them. And that she had six other siblings. And that was it.

"Nothing really," Christine said honestly, nervously. Emily closed her eyes and sniffed before opening her lids and Christine had to hold back a gasp at the set look of determination. Emily needed to explain the past before anyone, even Leah or Sam, tried to. If it wasn't explained the right way, Emily would be seen in a terrible, negative light. It was a great pressure on herself and she wasn't sure she could do this.

"This isn't my story to tell." She needed to say that. She would tell the story regardless. But it wasn't hers.

"Will you tell it anyway?" Christine pleaded quietly. She'd always wanted to know her mother's history but whenever she'd asked her…well, she kind of just got bitchy. So Christine left it alone, never wanting to cause problems or fights.

"I think I have to for you to understand…" Emily's voice cracked a few times but she swallowed the emotions back and squared her shoulders. She was a big girl and she could do this. "Back when I lived with my parents on the Makah Rez, your mother lived two doors down but we were connected by the house in the middle. See the houses down there are basically all the same layout and we both had the bedroom that faced the front yards and had a sloped roof beneath the window. This roof continued to her house and hers to mine. Your mother's mother was…one of a kind. She was maybe the harshest woman I've ever met in my life- and that's saying something. She was sweet and kind and gentle sober…but on her drug kicks, it was just something else. Your mother took the blow of too many beatings for either of us to count on both of our hands. Her father was a grumpy man that no one could love. The only reason your grandma stayed with that man was because he paid the bills and fed her habit. He was an alcoholic and had no problem beating the both of them…it was when your grandma got beat that her _truly_ nasty side came out. She waited for everyone to sleep before waking your mother up with blows. And it would be a tremendous struggle. Your mother wasn't defenseless, though, you see. She has six siblings. Two younger brothers, two older brothers, and two older sisters. Her sisters are twins and ten years older than she. By the time your mother was seven, the both of them had up and left. Before you ask, yes, I still talk to them…and they live in Nebraska. Your oldest uncles had no problem fighting your grandfather and shoving your mother aside to spare themselves. No, they never raised a hand to her, but they had no problem being firm with her, either. They truly were your mother's protectors…her saviors.

"Your mother would run across the roof, over our neighbor's roof, and to my window in the middle of the night. She would tap on it six times quickly and I would let her in without question. I always thought it was innocent fun and it wasn't until we were fourteen that your mother finally told me why she came to my room almost every night. If she knew her parents weren't sober, she knew something would happen, and she ran. By morning, she'd always be gone. This is how we became close. This is how your mother met Leah. My cousin. We were the three best friends. Your mother turned into quite the rebel and thought she should let us know how grateful she was for us, she also let us know that the only thing that kept her on the Rez was her little brothers. By the time she told us this, we were all fifteen. Her little brothers were twelve and thirteen. Her older brothers were seventeen and eighteen. Eighteen year old Beans decided he could entrust the siblings to seventeen year old Fizz. Beans went to your aunts in Nebraska and came back with a college degree four years late. The kid has a nice house and family up at the Rez now. Fizz watched over your mother and your other two uncles, Crackers and Mush. Crackers was the older of the two.

"Your mother, on her sixteenth birthday, informed us that as soon as Crackers and Mush were fourteen and thirteen, she would leave the Rez. We didn't want her to go but Le-Le and I understood. We weren't selfish and we knew she needed to be safe. Fizz would watch over the boys but would most likely head to Nebraska and college like Beans did. But your mom knew that Crackers and Mush would be able to handle your grandparents. By now, the troubled couple were hitting their forties- they'd had the twins when they were seventeen, that's why they were so young. Besides, Crackers and Mush would be the ages that Beans and Fizz had been when they started fighting off your grandparents. I didn't want your mother to go. I didn't want Fizz to go." Christine noticed Sam tense as Emily took a deep breath and place a hand on his knee. "You see, Fizz was my first love and the night he left for Nebraska was the night I…well, it's off topic, but it was the night I lost my virginity. Though I don't regret it per se, I wish I had waited for Sam, of course. But I didn't know I would get my Sam, and I was in love. Fizz did leave. Followed by your mother. And Le and I took it upon ourselves to become Crackers and Mush's protectors. But what could we do? Crackers and Mush were the youngest to leave the house. They left the following year at only fourteen and fifteen, but Anna and Jessie took them in. Nebraska was easily becoming a safe haven, as you can tell.

"Your mother came back at the age of nineteen armed with a fiancé and a baby. She wanted us to know you but she wouldn't live on the Rez. So Le-Le suggested the Quileute Rez where her own fiancé resided and your parents easily agreed to rent there. One day, while visiting your mother and your father and little you…I met a Mr. Sam Uley and my life was changed forever. Le-Le was…well, she was…heartbroken. I couldn't, I didn't- what could I have done? My heart was his. It was his from the very moment I laid eyes on him and it will be his until the very moment I stop breathing. I couldn't help it!" Emily was begging Christine to understand, but all Christine felt was the intense agony Leah must have gone through. Imprinting was supposed to be something beautiful, not traitorous. Emily sobbed harder as she saw the conflicted emotions pass over Christine's stunned features. "Don't look at me like that!" She cried. She had felt guilty for years for betraying her closest cousin, but she knew now that it was fate. "I can't help it and even if I could, I love him! He loves me and was meant for _me_! Can't you see that? If Seth had a girlfriend, you still wouldn't be able to stay away, no matter what! Don't you see?" And she did. Of course Christine wouldn't care. She would kill the bitch than bag Seth on her damn bed. But that's besides the point. Poor Leah. Christine sighed and rubbed her face vigorously. Emily went on with her story. "Your mom couldn't understand the conflict between me and Leah. _Leah_ couldn't even understand the conflict between me and her because neither of them knew about the wolves or imprinting. With Sam's permission, I explained it all. Though Leah kind of understood, and your mother _tried_ to understand, she fled. She thought it was all her fault. She couldn't stand it. So she went back to Florida. And well, you know the rest." Christine was quiet for a minute, digesting the story and trying to swallow back her tears. She sniffed a bit and Seth extracted his hand from hers and opted to just wrap her up in his arms. She shuddered in his warmth as thoughts of uncles and aunts flooded her mind.

"I-I have family in the Makah Rez?" Emily nodded gravely, stunned that _that_ was the part of the story she'd focused on. Emily mainly wanted two things to be understood: 1) She was not the scheming, hoe-bag, smut-bucket that many thought her to be and 2) Christine's mom was not related to Emily, simply terribly close. This meant that, no, Seth and Christine _weren't_ related, she knew they had to be going crazy thinking about that. "Are my grandparents still alive?" Christine asked in a dazed voice. Emily shook her head. The two surprisingly died of natural causes, not overdoses or alcohol poisoning or something. Christine nodded and sighed. "Why did my uncles have weird names?" She asked suddenly, a small smile gracing her lips. Emily snickered despite the storm of emotions brewing beneath the surface.

"Beans, Fizz, Crackers, and Mush were really Josh, Michael, Troy, and Henry. The names were dubbed by none other than Leah, me, and your mom. They stuck for life." Christine smiled, wishing she could hear some happy memories and knowing that they were few and far between.

"You…you said that Fizz was your first…ah…love?"

"Mhm…"Emily was uncomfortable discussing this in front of Sam.

"Why not Beans?" Emily sighed. Beans was Leah's.

"Beans…that was all totally and completely Leah's mess to deal with. Well, no, not mess. All of the Hansen children have turned out to be noble, respectful citizens to my knowledge…but he was a crazy, daring one, that Beans. Leah was so infatuated and head over that she didn't know what hit her. Poor thing. They were together for almost four years. She was the one who pushed him to go to college in Nebraska and rekindle the relationship with his sisters. She knew what was best for him and ended it there, deciding instead, to be friends. Ha, you should have seen what Beans did to Sam-" Emily was in fits of laughter while Sam blushed profusely, a feat for his dark skin. Sam had been completely pummeled before he went wolf. "See, when he found out that Leah had a new man…well, he went ballistic. He tried it again when Sam left Leah…but that time wasn't as successful because by then, Sam had phased." Emily's giggles died down as she blew a kiss to her man.

"Oh," was all Christine could say. She was sure she'd see the humor later, but she was still digesting the story. "Did Crackers and Mush ever come home?" She asked quietly. Emily nodded slowly. The men would be inducted as Makah Tribal Elders as soon as the next four elders passed on- Beans and Fizz are also waiting on their own positions. "Do you still talk to them?"

"Both Leah and I are in touch with all seven of the Hansen children," Emily said with a small shrug. Christine sighed.

"Is this why Leah hates you?" She knew she was blunt and harsh, but she couldn't help it. Emily winced, not liking the sound of Christine's words.

"Yeah. She feels I betrayed her. But it isn't my fault I-"

"Em, I don't blame you." Emily sighed in relief as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her very lungs. "I just don't like that you haven't made up."

"It isn't for lack of trying on my part- believe me," Emily said tiredly, running a hand through her hair before putting it into a huge, sloppy bun on the top of her head. She smiled at Christine, knowing it was coming. The realization would dawn on her shortly.

"So…you…Leah…my mom…you guys were never…related?" Emily shook her head, her smile growing. Christine nodded. Stood up. And left the room, mumbling a simple "need to be alone." She stormed into her bedroom, her head spinning. Her world was pretty lopsided, not exactly flipped because Seth would never let it go anyway but upright, but right now…her world was definitely in a state of disarray. She closed and locked her bedroom door behind her, kicking off her sandals and plopping onto her soft bed. As soon as her face met the mattress, her eyes closed, and the sleepiness took over. Sleep honestly _was_ the cure for everything. Stressful conversation with someone you thought was family but isn't who just explained that the love of your life and person you're supposed to spend the rest of eternity with wasn't your cousin but is actually just a family friend? Take a nap.

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Sorry if this was screwy, I popped it out real quick...


	6. Chapter 6: She Sleeps

A/N:

So…last chapter ended in a nap…I thought maybe I could take the opportunity to give you guys some background or maybe just an idea of what it is exactly that Christine is running from…Tell me what you think in the best way readers can…(reviews)…

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Chapter Six

(CPOV)

_I'm in front of my house. No, not Emily and Sam's cute, homey little adobe. No. I'm in front of the two-story, red brick home that is identical to the rest of the buildings in the East Front Projects. I'm in Florida. I stand stock still as I hear the cars whizzing by behind me. I swallow and stare at the door, the concrete steps littered with beer cans and bottles; the windows covered with not curtains but towels are open; the lawn is a mess…this is what home looked like if ever I went away for a few nights. I climb the stairs on shaky legs and push the door open, it isn't locked- it never is._

"_Ma?" I call into the house._

"_Where were you?" A voice croaks from behind the back of the couch. I swallow and climb over the clutter to my mom. No matter what she does to me, no matter what she will ever do to me...she's my mother and I lover her...and it kills me to see her hurt herself._

"_I went to Beth's, I told you that…" I say softly, glancing around at the empty wine glasses._

"_No, Christine, you did not! You did not _fucking _tell me where you were going! I cannot believe you would do this shit to me!" She's sitting upright now, her eyes wild and wide, her short hair a mess around her face, pale skin reddened from the harsh fabric of the couch. "You fucking left-" her hand is swift and harsh across my left cheek- "without so much as a warning! You're just like your fucking father!"_

"_Ma! Stop!" I yell back, scrambling up and away from her, across the room and behind the coffee table. My eyes are filling with tears but I blink them away, she won't see me cry. My mother stands at a whopping five feet tall but she's a whirlwind and inexplicably strong where fragile, weakened, aged muscles and bones should be._

"_How DARE you! Don't tell me what the fuck to do!" She's stomping around the coffee table but I'm faster and I'm already back across the room and behind the couch, close to the door_.

"_Mom, _please_," I whine_, _I sound like a little bitch, begging her for some kind of peace. But she's faded. I'm not sure if it's the beer…the wine…or her painkillers…but she isn't sober on any account and I'm shaking as I watch her approach._

"_YOU DIDN'T TELL ME SHIT!" She screams far too loudly than what should be allowed._

"_Mom, I did! I did! I told you last week! And every day before I left! I was going camping! I told you-" My voice grows more and more frantic with each word that flies out of my mouth. I'm backed against the wall, fumbling over the random shoes that have been strategically placed around my feet. My hand is on the doorknob when I look up. Her face is clear. She's biting her bottom lip with her top lip curled in, her eyebrows are furrowed, cheeks red with rage- it's her battle face. Her fist is solid across the same tender left cheek. The door is hard and unyielding as my head bangs against it and I topple. she's on me in a second and my arms go up, trying to grab her hands, trying to prevent more damage. I have no hope of ever winning this fight because I'm too respectful. She says I'm disrespectful. Says I'm ungrateful. But any other person let alone child like the one she describes would have already punched, kicked, hit her by now. Instead, I just try to minimize the damage. I will never lay hands on my mother. I grab her wrists as she kneels above me. She forces both of my thin wrists into one of her hands and her hand slams across my cheek, the right one this time._

"_Don't you ever!" She screams, hitting me again, this time with a fist, "Ever! EVER! Walk out that fucking door without my say so!" I don't respond as she hits either side of my face in alternating blows. _

"_Mom, mom, mom!" I yell her name over and over, trying to break through the fog. But she's done. She's too far gone. I roll us over and then jump off of her and run up the stairs too swiftly for her to catch me. She grasps at my ankle but misses and tumbles down the stairs. I hesitate, waiting for sign of movement. Too quickly, she's up and running the stairs again. With a squeak or surprise and shock…and fear…I dart down the hallway, behind me door, and lock the brass knob. My bag is already packed in the corner, by the window. It's not a far drop because the house is on a slant for the driveway. It's only about a twelve foot drop from this window. Every month, I repack my safety bag for times like these. I swing that bag over my shoulders and then slip out the window just as her fists, arms, feet, and legs start to beat against the door. I hesitate, standing on the roof in broad daylight. I can't tear my eyes away from the pulsing door as my mother throws her whole being against it to try to get to me. I swallow back more tears and take the plunge, landing solidly on the street. I start at a sprint and keep it at this pace for a good three blocks. Only then do I slow down to a paced run and when I'm on the outskirts of the city, I let up to a jog. When I finally hit the woods, where tourists and country folk like to camp, I start walking at a leisurely pace- as if I _chose _to come here, as if I _wanted _to come hiking through the disgusting and heated woods. I would spend the night in the old, abandoned cabin that I discovered when I was twelve, and by sunrise, my suitcases would be packed and loaded into a taxi while I headed out to Kyle's, nothing more than a simple note to my mother to explain my absence. _

I gasp as my eyes snap open and I take in my surroundings. My room is pitch black, not even moonlight penetrates. The only sound is that of my heavy heartbeat and the crickets through the wall. My body is covered in a light sheen of sweat yet I am shaking. I sit up and place a wavering hand on my forehead, trying to catch my breath. Mmmm.

"You okay?" Seth's husky voice is welcomed. I search the darkness for him and whimper before I sniff and begin crying. His arms are around me instantly and it's almost as if I am completely smothered in _him_. I don't say anything, just let him shush me and tell me that it's all okay. It's not okay. But he doesn't know that. And he doesn't have to know that. I finally manage to compose myself enough to breath evenly and pull away from him. He wipes the last of my tears away before kissing my hair and giving me a soft smile. My eyes have adjusted enough to see the simple outline of his features. I sigh. "You were fussing in your sleep…but I didn't want to wake you…"

"It…it's fine, forget it."

"Nightmare?" I chuckle humorlessly, breathlessly.

"Something like that."

"Wanna talk about it?" I pause, searching his eyes for something that even I'm unaware of.

"I-" I stop myself, the knowledge of wolf hearing hitting me again. I wince and shake my head. "Not where we can be heard, no." He smiles.

"Emily and Sam went to see Jared and Kim…and give us some privacy…" I sigh.

"Well then I just don't wanna talk about it," I say a little too sharply. I sigh once again. "Sorry…I'm sorry…I just…I can't…not yet…" He nods, kissing my forehead.

"You don't have to if you don't want to…but just so you know…I'm always here for you, okay?" I nod against his chest, snuggling in and pulling him down to the mattress. It's almost instantly that sleep takes me.

_I stand in front of Kyle's apartment building. Being two years older than me, he's eighteen and already on his own. I head into the crappy building, ignoring the leering stares, and go straight to the elevators, all of my luggage on a cart. I wheel my way to his apartment room and knock softly, hoping he's home. I hope he understands. He's the only one I have left. The door swings open. He's shirtless, sweaty, breathless, flushed. I glance down, notice the boxers, notice the erection. I look back up into his eyes, which have widened. I take in the dark, lusty color and nod, swallowing._

"_Hey…" How am I supposed to greet the boyfriend I either just caught masturbating or cheating?_

"_Kyle?" A high, nasally voice calls him from behind, "who is it?" Oh, okay, I guess it's cheating, then. My eyes fill with tears once again and I look down at the floor feeling like an ass._

"_Hold on," he shouts irritably over his shoulder. Surprisingly, this pisses me off. It isn't the girl's fault that he's a dick and just got caught, no need to be rude to her. I know, it's a dumb thing for me to feel, but it's how I feel. "Christine, I can explain-"_

"_No need to. I don't care. I just…I need a place to stay…" I gesture to the cart with my suitcases. He nods, looking ashamed._

"_Come in," he says, wheeling the cart in and unloading the bags. He leaves the apartment and deposit's the cart in the elevator. I watch him from the doorway. He still _looks_ the same. I thought cheating was supposed to change a person._

"_Who are you?" A pretty blonde in nothing but a pink bra and matching panties asks from the bedroom doorway. I look her in her blue eyes and smile._

"_I'm his cousin, Christine." I don't know why I lie or where that came from, but that's what I say. She blushes and looks at the floor._

"_Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know he was expecting…oh, I'm gonna kill him!" She chuckles nervously, scratching the back of her neck. Well, at least she has the decency to be embarrassed. I notice Kyle is taking longer than necessary but I don't look for him. I flop onto the couch and she smiles brightly, parting her thin, pink lips to reveal straight, though slightly discolored teeth. "I'm Tammy."_

"_Hi. So…are you his…girlfriend?" I flinch at the label, hoping to God in Heaven above that she was just a fling, a simple bimbo at a bar that he picked up to get back at me for last weekend's party._

"_Oh, gosh, no! I'm his…well, I'm the girl he goes to when he needs to get back at his girlfriend. But I don't mind it, he's hot and the hookups are great…"_

"_Have you guys ever…" I feel my face heat up and she giggles, it's a pretty sound, albeit a bit annoying._

"_We were going to…but…"_

"_Sorry," I mumble. "So…you're like his fuck buddy?" She nods, her paper straight hair swishing around her thin, fake-tanned shoulders. I nod with her as Kyle enters the room._

"_Tammy, you gotta go." He states briskly. She blushes a bright red, nods, and ducks back into the room. She reemerges in a pair of light wash skinny jeans, white flip flops, and a white tank top. She leans into him for a kiss as she grabs her pink purse. He dodges it at the last second for a nice peck on the cheek. She clears her throat._

"_Nice meeting you…Christine, was it? Anyways, I'll call you later, Kyle." He shakes his head._

"_Don't."_

"_I _will_." And with that, the door is closed and silence envelops us. I sniffle, blinking back the tears. He was gonna fuck her._

"_Are you…are you _crying_?" He asks incredulously, his hands on my shoulders. I shake my head and cover my ducked face with my hands. My hair swings around my shoulders as he bends down to get a look at me._

"_Just don't touch me!" I shriek, making him jump back. "Kyle, I can't believe you-"_

"_Jason! Last week! Who _does_ that?"_

"_Kyle it was a dare. A three minute dare. Get over it."_

"_And that would've been a fuck. A three minute fuck. Now you can get over that. Not like we even got to actually go through with it." I jump up and jab at his still-bare chest._

"_FUCK YOU! HOW could you do that to me! TO ME! KYLE! HOW!" I'm crying now, sobbing and blinded by my endless flow of tears. I continue screaming at him, making his face crumple before he starts sobbing and crying out his own apologies. I don't give him any sympathy, just a few nods. I _do_ need a place to stay, I can't be too harsh. I cry myself to sleep on his couch for the next three months. I simply go through daily motions, not caring. Kyle and I continue to call ourselves a "couple" in public but I allow him to bring other girls home. I don't care anymore. It's only when his hand meets my face and my fist meets his that it matters. Right now. It matters. He stumbles back with the force of my fist. I follow him and smash him with my left fist. He pushes me onto the couch and goes to smack me, but I kick him straight in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He stumbles and hit's the wall, falling to the floor awkwardly. I stand up, stalk over to him, and kick him in the ribs repeatedly before bending down and grabbing a fistful of his hair._

"_I fucking hate you," I hiss in his ear. He grunts and I'm faintly aware that he's crying. But I can't feel bad. I'm numb. _She _called me today. She told me she hated me. Regretted me. Loved her beer more than her daughter. I never knew drunk dialing could hurt so much. I slam his face into the floor, cheek first as to not break his nose. He grunts and I do it again before sitting on his back. "Can you breathe, Kyle?" He wheezes and I alleviate some of the pressure so that I'm squatting over him, but mostly sitting. "Now?" He doesn't respond. I sigh and rub his shoulders. "I hate you so much…" He stays silent. He's smart. "But I love you, too," I whisper and he just sniffles. "You hurt me so much, you know that?" He doesn't answer so I land a punch to his shoulder blade. "Did you get that, Kyle? I said you _fucking hurt me_." He nods and groans an apology that I don't want to hear. I hit him again. "I don't want your fucking apologies." I stand up and walk into the kitchen. With my back turned, he slams me into the fridge, my ribs ache, but I don't make a sound. He fists my hair in his own hand and yanks it back until I'm bent so far over my head is almost touching the floor and my whole stomach is bare to the ceiling. My legs give out and I topple to the floor. He places a foot on my throat and I wince, coughing._

"_We could have been happy," he whispers, his tears hitting me, his hand still gripping my curls. "We could have been so _fucking_ good together!" He removes his foot and bends down until our faces are inches apart. "But then you ruined it, huh? Just came out of nowhere, you did, with your damn bat. What the fuck was that, anyway?" I close my eyes. If ever there was something I wanted to change so badly it hurt, it was the day I jumped Kyle with that damn baseball bat. I had beat him like a fucking piñata until he caved, knocking out. Then I called the ambulance, blamed it on thugs, and fled. It was downhill since. I shake my head, not ready to tell him about my mother, not knowing if I would ever be willing to tell him. He had just come home maybe not even twenty minutes ago from his office job. I had wordlessly walked up to him and socked him. And that brought us to our current position. "Damn it, Christine," he hand leaves my hair and his voice softens, "what are we even doing? Why are you here? Why do you do this to me? You just get me so mad…you and your fucking random hits…" He's crying on my chest in earnest and I actually feel bad. Before the bat incident, Kyle would not have ever raised a hand to me. I would die on that statement. But he's always had a temper and I had found out how to get him to hit back so I wouldn't feel so guilty afterwards. And I'm happy he hits back. Now it's not just me…completely._

"_Oh, Kyle," I sniff, not wanting him to know the truth. "Please…I'm leaving…" His head snaps up, away from my chest and my fingers which were stroking his silky brown hair. I still don't open my eyes, though._

"_What?" His voice is panicked."I said I'm leaving. I'm done here. I can't keep doing this to you…to me…to us…"_

"_We can make it work, though, Christine, baby, we can…I could give you the best life, I could-" I shake my head, my finger finding his lips without my sight. I know his words are true…or could have been if I wasn't so fucked up in the head. But I shake my head anyway._

"_We are not going to, though. I'm leaving. The taxi should be here in about an hour."_

"_You can't leave me," he whispers, kissing my chin._

"_Don't kiss me," I grumble. We had broken up officially a while back but put on for appearances._

"_No, I love you, you know I do…please don't leave me…please….please don't leave, I can be better, I swear, I just need time to-"_

"_Kyle, I'm leaving. This is it." And when the taxi came, there was no stopping me. I laid a single kiss to his tear-streaked chin and went on the silent trip to my mother's. I told the driver to wait ten minutes and come in and get me if I took any longer. I step into the house._

"_Mom?" I call warily, as if she would jump me from the shadows. Part of me knew she was capable of this, just another reason to have told the driver to get me._

"_In the kitchen." Her voice is loud and ringing, crisp, clear. I smile. Good. She's sober. I follow the sounds of running water to find her washing dishes in a yellow sundress. _

"_Mom. I'm leaving."_

"_Honey, you left me a long time ago." My mother's eyes are sorry, her smile sad. She isn't talking about the three months I've been gone. She's talking about when she first laid hands on me years ago. And I know it. I smile softly at her._

"_I can't run away from blood," I whisper and she nods. "You know I'll always love you, right?" She nods, closing her eyes and swallowing hard. _

"_Where will you go?"_

"_Washington."_

"_Emily?" Her voice is hopeful as she guesses. I nod and step towards her with my arms open wide. She hugs me tightly and kisses my cheek._

"_Be careful. Be safe. I love you." I tell her I love her too and leave. She never asked about how I would get to Washington. She never wondered how I would get the money. Mom was never the responsible type of person, more of just a believer. And she knew me. So she knew that when I said I was going to Washington, I would fight tooth and nail to set my damn feet in Washington soil. The taxi driver is kind as he takes me to the airport. The flight is a blur. The only thing I remember is the nice taxi driver who takes me to La Push. To my destiny. _

"_Us cabbies aren't really allowed in…" He trails off and I nod. _I gasp as I open my eyes. De ja vous. I stay stock still in Seth's arms as he tightens his grip around me. He's snoring softly and I smile, touching his cheekbones with the tips of my fingers. Those memories are dark, dark, sad memories. They shake me. Literally. I watch my trembling fingers as the reach his jaw. I sigh and only hope nothing nearly half as dark would ever happen to Seth. Or to me. Again. Or to us.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, this chapter is kind of all over the place. I didn't have time to actually edit/read over. But I'll probably go back and edit then re-enter it. If you see it go and come back, that's why. Tell me what you think, please...someone...(lol).

~CRAYOLA 0-0


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